The NBA draft lottery has shown Darius Acuff where his pro career will likely begin
The wait for the NBA draft continues, but the wait for the NBA draft lottery ended on Sunday. Arkansas guard Darius Acuff finally got the information which will shape his pro career. We now have a much better idea of where the superstar scorer will go to begin his NBA journey.
Here are the top 14 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft following Sunday's lottery:
1. Washington Wizards
2. Utah Jazz
3. Memphis Grizzlies
4. Chicago Bulls
5. LA Clippers
6. Brooklyn Nets
7. Sacramento Kings
8. Atlanta Hawks
9. Dallas Mavericks
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. Golden State Warriors
12. Oklahoma City Thunder
13. Miami Heat
14. Charlotte Hornets
It is widely accepted that BYU superstar AJ Dybantsa will be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The second through fourth picks are likely to be a combination of Darryn Peterson of Kansas, Cameron Boozer of Duke, and Caleb Wilson of North Carolina. Most draft experts think the fun and intrigue of the draft will begin at pick No. 5 with the Los Angeles Clippers, who got the pick instead of the hard-luck Indiana Pacers in one of the bigger developments from the draft lottery.
Could Darius Acuff land in LA with the Clips? It's a really intriguing possibility. Some NBA draft analysts think Keaton Wagler of Illinois could go to the Clippers, but if the Clippers are thinking about Wagler, a scoring guard, they could just as easily pick Acuff. That would be the best-case scenario for Acuff at this point, but it's not necessarily the most likely NBA draft outcome.
Where Acuff is most likely headed: Brooklyn or Sacramento. The Brooklyn Nets struggled to score last season. They had one of the worst offenses in the NBA. Darius Acuff might not be the perfect NBA prospect, but he's a source of instant offense with his well-rounded offense-first skill set. The Nets didn't get the top-three pick position they were hoping for. At No. 6 in the draft, Acuff -- if the Clippers don't take him at No. 5 -- will probably be the pick for Brooklyn.
If for some reason the Nets pass on Acuff, we can't see him dropping below No. 7 and the Sacramento Kings. Remember: The Kings traded De'Aaron Fox not that long ago. It hasn't worked out well for them. Now Sacramento needs its new point guard of the future. If the Nets say no thanks at No. 6, the Kings will have a relatively easy decision to make at No. 7.