Breaking Down Ace Bailey’s Off-Court Fortune
Ace Bailey spent his freshman season representing Rutgers Scarlet Knights, quickly emerging as one of the most exciting prospects in college basketball. After an impressive freshman campaign, Bailey is now set to enter the 2025 NBA Draft, with several lottery teams closely tracking his progress, including Philadelphia, New Orleans, Utah, and Charlotte.
He averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in the NCAA last season. He did all that under a struggling Rutgers Scarlet Knights who failed to reach even the March Madness tournament. Despite the team’s underwhelming performance, Rutgers’ 2024 class remains in the spotlight, with Dylan Harper also projected to be a top selection in the upcoming draft.
“What might be a bad shot to you, you don’t work on it. I work on it.”
— Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) May 15, 2025
Ace Bailey with a 🔥 quote on his tough shotmaking, and how he practices shots vs. double and triple teams. pic.twitter.com/9ZoqLYPV4c
Ace Bailey is known for his elite mid-range game. The 18-year-old has a smooth jumper and also does well making off-balance shots over defenders. Some scouts see shades of early-career Michael Porter Jr. and Andrew Wiggins in Bailey’s skillset, particularly in his smooth release and athleticism.
Ace Bailey has steadily built his personal image after signing NIL Deals with Nike and The Knights of the Raritan. Both the deals were signed during his last NCAA season.
Per On3’s latest valuation, Bailey’s total NIL earnings now hover around $1.6 million, a staggering figure for a freshman with just one season under his belt.
Ace Bailey has two endorsement deals that he signed last year. His first brand endorsement was with The Knights of The Raritan in July. The brand also known as KTR is an NIL collective dedicated to supporting Rutgers University’s athletes.
Launched in May, 2022, KTR which is run by college alumni, fans, and corporate partners on membership model has facilitated NIL deals for Rutgers football, basketball and wrestling players. Bailey later signed a high-value endorsement with Nike, a major global sportswear company in November.
I cover NBA at the Playoffs. I specialize in covering breaking news, Previews, in-depth analysis (breaking down numbers, complex stats, nuances of the game, and converting them into reader-friendly content). Furthermore, I got into the sports media while looking for an entry into the media industry. I love International Relations, and since entry without majoring in the subject was difficult, I got into sports. Now, while majoring in International Relations on one side, I also like covering sports as part of the journey as a young Journalist.
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