Kevin Durant makes his feelings known on 6"10 freshman Ace Bailey: "Pure talent"

Aside from still being one of the league's top stars, Kevin Durant isn't shy to give his takes on all things in and around the basketball world. Recently, the former MVP had high praise for one of the potential top prospects of the upcoming draft.

Among the players expected to come off the board early in the 2025 NBA draft is Rutgers guard Ace Bailey. In the early weeks of his freshman season, the 6-foot-10 prospect is averaging 17.6 points and 7.6 rebounds.

During a recent media availability, Kevin Durant was asked about his thoughts on Bailey. The Phoenix Suns star had a lot of glowing things to say about his game when breaking down his combination of size and skill.

“Ace is a pure, pure talent," Durant said. "It’s insane the shots that he can make over multiple people at that length."

With his ability to score from almost anywhere at his size, Bailey is a blue-chip prospect for the modern NBA. Still a long way from the draft, some have put the Rutgers standout in the same tier as Duke forward Cooper Flagg.

As for Durant, he continues to lead the charge for the Suns since returning from injury. The superstar forward is fresh off a 27-point, six-assist outing against the Denver Nuggets on Christmas Day.

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Kevin Durant has heartfelt reaction to playing on Christmas Day

For the 12th time in his historic career, Kevin Durant found himself playing on Christmas Day. Following the Phoenix Suns' win over the Nuggets, he praised a wide range of talent across the league.

The Christmas slate featured an array of young and old stars. Before Durant took the floor, LeBron James and Steph Curry faced off in a thrilling matchup that saw a last-second win.

During his postgame press conference, Kevin Durant was about him, Curry and LeBron still playing on one of the NBA's biggest days. KD said it runs much deeper than them, bringing up Nikola Jokic and other young stars across the association.

"It's not just us three," Durant said. "You see Jokic tonight. You see a Hall of Famer, an icon in Russell tonight. You see so many great young players around the league today. It was an amazing day for basketball."

Durant made sure to shout out Jokic after he also had a dominant outing on Christmas. The three-time MVP finished with 25 points, 15 rebounds and two assists. However, it wasn't enough to get the Nuggets a holiday win.

With their Christmas Day win behind them now, Durant and the Suns will look to stay in the playoff picture in the highly competitive Western Conference.