Arkansas guard Darius Acuff heard his name called on Monday night during the 2026 NBA Draft. The Sacramento Kings selected him with the No. 7 overall pick.
Acuff arrived in Fayetteville as one of the top players in the country. According to the Rivals Industry Rankings for the 2025 cycle, he finished as the No. 9 overall prospect nationally, the No. 2 point guard in the class and the third overall player in the state of Florida.
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The enigmatic star is heading to the NBA after one standout season at Arkansas. The former Razorback entered the draft viewed as one of the top guard prospects available, and now begins the next chapter of his career at the professional level.
Moreover, Acuff entered college with enormous expectations, playing for John Calipari, and quickly lived up to them. During his lone season with the Razorbacks, he averaged 23.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game.
At the NBA Draft Combine, Acuff measured 6-foot-2 barefoot and weighed 185.8 pounds. He also posted a 6-foot-7 wingspan and an 8’2.5″ standing reach. As the No. 7 overall selection in the 2026 NBA Draft, Acuff is projected to sign a four-year rookie-scale contract worth approximately $36.5 million, according to Spotrac.
What NBA Draft analysts are saying about Darius Acuff
On3’s James Fletcher III believes Acuff’s résumé makes him one of the more exciting prospects in the class.
“Darius Acuff went on a dominant run at the end of the college basketball season, knocking down clutch shots throughout the postseason for Arkansas,” he reported. “His ability to create space at multiple levels is undeniable, making him an extremely valuable player despite a lack of defensive contributions. The largest question faces his star potential is his size as many teams look to get bigger across the board, especially with their No. 1 option.”
Meanwhile, On3 national basketball analyst Jamie Shaw praised everything from his swagger to his overall feel for the game.
“Darius Acuff steps on the court with a swagger. He has long arms and a purposeful handle. Acuff is a capable scorer from multiple levels, showing deep range off the bounce or the catch. He is comfortable pulling up in the mid-range and he has a crafty bag around the rim,” Shaw’ analysis read.
“Acuff is more quick than fast. He has a good first step, getting to his spots, but he needs to continue to work on his burst around the basket. Acuff is a solid passer, making reads and distributing passes on target. He needs to continue getting strong passing off movement. He can also get shot happy. While he has put up big scoring totals, he does so mainly with a lot of shot attempts at this point. His over-dribbling can kill the flow of an offense.
“Efficiency is a big thing with Acuff, his totals can be inefficient. He has quick hand when guarding the ball in the open floor. He seems to have a competitive fire and no fear. His cousin is Eastern Michigan’s Tyson Acuff.”
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