March 18, 2026, 3:14 p.m. ET
The Brooklyn Nets are nearing the end of what has been a tough 2025-26 NBA season for the franchise that is trying to develop as much of the younger talent as possible. After this season concludes, Brooklyn will have some tough choices to make heading into the 2026 NBA Draft, but there could be a player for them to consider that is hitting his stride at the moment.
“Darius Acuff Jr. just powered Arkansas to three wins in the SEC tournament, averaging 30.3 points and 7.7 assists,” Jonathan Wasserman wrote for Bleacher Report. Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. is considered one of the risers at this point of the draft cycle, especially for how he has been playing for legendary head coach John Calipari and the Razorbacks in the SEC tournament.
“The reliable and clutch play at the end of clocks and games highlights intangibles that can sway scouts to buy the person behind the player and look past historically worrisome details about size or analytics,” Wasserman wrote when explaining what Acuff is showing in recent games. “It’s the poise and maturity as a No. 1 option that could persuade teams to draft a 6’3″ ball-handler over the bigger guards.”
To be clear, the Nets have the third-worst record in the league heading into Wednesday’s slate of games, meaning that they could have the best chance (14.0%) of getting the first overall pick. However, assuming that Brooklyn ends the season with one of the three worst records in the NBA, they still have a chance of their pick ending up somewhere between the fifth pick and the seventh pick.
If the Nets aren’t in the range of being able to select BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Duke forward Cameron Boozer, or Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Acuff could be a player for them to target given his skill set. Acuff, 19, is averaging 22.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game while shooting 48.6% from the field and 44.5% from three-point land during his freshman season at Arkansas.
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