Clippers Should Avoid Darius Acuff Jr. at All Costs With No. 5 Pick

Lawrence Frank and the Los Angeles Clippers front office are about to make what could be a franchise-altering decision on June 23, during the 2026 NBA Draft. After landing the No. 5 pick in this summer’s lottery, the Clippers suddenly are in a position to enter a long-awaited rebuild. This now makes nailing their selection even more critical, as they could become a future franchise cornerstone.

It's all but official that the top four in June's draft will be AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson in some order. To some, the next best prospect outside of the projected top four is Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr.

After an incredible and historic freshman season for the Razorbacks, it's no surprise that so many fans and evaluators are high on Acuff Jr. and believe he can be a franchise cornerstone. However, whatever the Clippers do on draft night, they need to make sure they pass up on the chance to draft him at No. 5.

Clippers Can’t Afford Taking a Darius Acuff Jr. Risk at No. 5

When talking about the Clippers passing up on Acuff Jr., the immediate thing many people point to is the awkward fit in the backcourt with Darius Garland. While I agree it's an odd fit, LA shouldn't let Garland prevent them from drafting the best player.

The hesitation with drafting Acuff Jr. is more about the fact that he is part of one of the league's fastest-dying breeds as a small scoring guard who is a defensive liability.

We saw Trae Young be traded for no future assets around this past trade deadline, as NBA front offices are starting to realize that to build a team around a small guard, you need a lot. In the postseason, when the game slows down, it's much easier for coaches to isolate and pick on weaker defenders, and when you have a defensively poor, undersized guard, those scenarios never end.

It's also concerning that even with a 6-foot-7 wingspan, Acuff Jr. looked as bad defensively as he did last season.

Sure, the New York Knicks and Jalen Brunson have appeared to figure out the formula for building a winner around an undersized guard, with a potential Finals appearance looming. But look what it cost them to bring in Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, Karl Anthony-Towns, and OG Anunoby. The Clippers don't have assets like that.

On top of that, can Acuff Jr. ever reach the heights Brunson has as an individual as a borderline top-10 player? I don't think so.

Acuff Jr. is a straight-up bucket-getter, and he's going to produce highlights, sell jerseys, and put butts in seats. But can he be the lead guard on a championship team one day? I lean no.

There are serious questions about whether he can use his frame to body up guards with the same ease he did in college, and if he can't, that's a huge part of his game gone. I still have questions about his shot and how it looks against NBA-level defenders, as Acuff Jr. often just walked into open looks.

Outside of those two things, the rest of his offensive game appears pretty bulletproof, but his size and defensive lapses still project to hold him back from really being a championship-chasing lead guard.

The Clippers haven't had a top-five pick since 2009 and can't afford to get things wrong or take someone with the glaring defensive and size issues Acuff Jr. has. It may be hard to pass up on a player with the offensive talent Darius Acuff Jr., but with the way the NBA is heading and the glaring defensive red flags, drafting him No. 5 could doom LA’s future.

Add us as a preferred source on Google