In 2018, the Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks completed a draft-night trade that centered around Luka Doncic and Trae Young. Atlanta moved down from No. 3 overall to add Young and a 2019 first-round pick, while Dallas moved up to select Doncic. Though Young led the Hawks to a fruitful era, many have lamented what could've been had they stuck with Doncic, who's now widely regarded as the superior player.
For as painful as it's been to ponder those possibilities, the Hawks must allow themselves to heal and prepare for another draft-night trade if they hope to select Darius Acuff Jr. in 2026.
Atlanta will have the No. 8 and No. 23 overall selections in the 2026 NBA Draft. Both picks could prove valuable, but landing Acuff is likely to require moving up if a new rumor from an NBA insider ultimately proves to be true.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Hawks are prioritizing the point guard position ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft.
"Since then, rival executives who’ve spoken with HoopsHype project the Hawks to select either a point guard, with one of Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., Darius Acuff, and Kingston Flemings expected to be available, or Michigan 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara."
Unfortunately, Scotto has also reported that the Sacramento Kings have significant interest in selecting Acuff if he falls to them at No. 7—one spot before the Hawks come up at No. 8.
"The Sacramento Kings are enamored with Arkansas star guard Darius Acuff Jr., according to league sources, but will he still be on the board by the seventh overall pick?"
With this in mind, the Hawks must learn from what can go wrong when another team steals a dream fit out from under them and trade up for Acuff.
Hawks seemingly need to trade up if they want to draft Darius Acuff Jr.
Acuff, 19, is a promising young point guard with transcendent potential. He had a generational freshman season, averaging 23.5 points, 6.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 2.5 three-point field goals made on .484/.440/.809 shooting.
In the process, Acuff joined Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Anthony Davis, Bernard King, Brandon Miller, Malik Monk, and John Wall as the only freshman in history to win the SEC Player of the Year award.
Acuff more than justified the hype when he averaged 29.3 points and 5.3 assists during the 2026 NCAA Tournament. He did so while leading the Arkansas Razorbacks to the Sweet 16, dropping 36 points in the second round and 28 against the No. 1 seed Arizona Wildcats in the regional semifinal.
As if that weren't enough, Acuff then turned heads at the 2026 NBA Draft Combine with a 6'6.5" wingspan and the fastest three-quarter sprint time of anyone at the event.
Darius Acuff Jr. is a big-game player with advanced processing speed
Beyond the numbers and the measurables, Acuff is a well-rounded player who can thrive both with and without the ball. He reads and reacts at a pro level as a decision maker, ranks among the best in his class in terms of court vision and passing ability, and has deep range on his jump shot.
Acuff is also a tough finisher inside who has displayed the potential to become a three-level scoring threat in the NBA.
For the Hawks, drafting Acuff would mean finding the missing piece of the puzzle. He can create for or play off of his teammates, which bodes well for how he'd complement All-Star forward Jalen Johnson and potential perimeter teammates Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels.
Acuff is also an aggressive scorer who could check the one box the team has left to address: That of a perimeter scoring threat they can build their late-game execution around.
Considering the success that 34-year-old unrestricted free agent CJ McCollum had in such a role, as well as the impact of his individual glory, Acuff is endless in his appeal. If he can learn from his teammates and translate his abilities to the NBA, then the Hawks will have a franchise point guard to put the finishing touches on their identity.
Unfortunately, if the Hawks believe that Acuff can truly be that type of player for them, then they'll seemingly need to trade up given the Kings' interest at No. 7.
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