The Brooklyn Nets suffered a disappointing drop in the 2026 NBA Draft lottery, falling from the third pick to the sixth—the second straight year their draft position slipped. ESPN’s latest mock draft projects the team will use the No. 6 selection on Arkansas Razorbacks point guard Darious Acuff Jr.
Acuff averaged 23.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game as a freshman, shooting 48.4% from the field and 44.0% from three-point range. ESPN reporter Jeremy Wu highlighted Acuff’s offensive creativity as a primary ball-handler, noting it’s a key reason to consider him. However, the Nets have recently favored bigger guards, like 6’8″ Yegor Jemine, 6’6″ Ben Saraf, and 6’5″ Drake Powell. At 6’3″, Acuff doesn’t quite match that profile, but his scoring ability might be too tempting for general manager Sean Marks to overlook.
In his mock draft analysis, Wu wrote that Acuff’s dominant freshman season makes him a strong candidate to be the next guard selected after Darrin Peterson. Opinions vary within league circles on how Acuff stacks up among point guards, and his pre-draft measurements will draw scrutiny. Still, there’s little doubt he can run an offense from day one. If Illinois guard Keaton Wagler is already taken, Acuff is likely to be the Nets’ pick.
