Pre-March Madness 2026 Mock Draft Lands Hawks An Elite Playmaking Point Guard

The Atlanta Hawks have won 10 games in a row and are going for the 11th in a row tonight against the Dallas Mavericks. They are pushing to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference and are only 1.5 games out of 5th place. That is the main focus for the Hawks, but they do have their eyes on a pair of teams for draft purposes.

Ever since the Hawks made the draft-night trade with the New Orleans Pelicans that landed them an unprotected 2026 first-round pick (most favorable of New Orleans and Milwaukee), the Hawks have had the luxury of trying to make the playoffs while also potentially adding a franchise-altering talent in the 2026 draft. While the Pelicans have played better as of late, they still have solid odds of jumping into the top four.

The Pelicans currently sit with the 7th-best odds to win the draft lottery, and the Bucks are at 10th.

In the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, the Hawks land three players, including one of the most dynamic guards in the draft

6. Atlanta Hawks (via Pelicans): Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas)

Position: PG/SG | Size: 6'3", 190 lbs | Age: 18
Pro Comp: Stephon Marbury

"Darius Acuff Jr.'s NBA evaluation has been a hot topic all year, given his incredible production and the questions about the value of smaller guards who struggle defensively.

Consistent production and late-game execution have been major selling points to Acuff throughout the season. But he's playing at an ever higher level lately, having just averaged 30.3 points and 7.7 assists during Arkansas' SEC tournament run.

There will surely be NBA evaluators totally sold on Acuff's shotmaking, creativity and burst and playmaking IQ for a lead guard. There will also be skeptics who'll question his athleticism, defense and analytics, which include a steal rate so low that the only previous first-round point guards under 1.2 percent or under were Reggie Jackson, Malachi Flynn and Brandon Knight.

A general manager who trusts results and his eye could see a special, classic floor general, capable of efficiently balancing running offense and scoring on demand or taking over with self-creation and three-level shotmaking, like he did when he went for 49 points against Alabama."

23. Atlanta Hawks (via Cavaliers): Amari Allen (Alabama)

57. Atlanta Hawks (via Celtics): Joseph Tugler (Houston)

Would the Hawks take Acuff?

Acuff is a dynamic playmaker who should be a great offensive player in the NBA, no matter where he goes. However, he is going to come with questions due to his size and defense.

Acuff is not a big guard and is arguably the worst defender in the entire draft. One of the reasons that the Hawks moved on from Trae Young two months ago was not only the contract, but the limitations of his size and defense. Small guards are not looked upon favorably in the league and you don't need more evidence than the Young trade, as well as the trade that sent Darius Garland from Cleveland to the Clippers.

Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh has talked about wanting to build bigger teams and right after trading Young and building this team more around Jalen Johnson, are the Hawks going to spend another top ten pick on a small guard with defensive issues? I am skeptical.