Mavericks Projected to Take Exciting Guard of the Future in Latest NBA Mock Draft

The Dallas Mavericks are likely lottery-bound once again this year, as they sit 18 games below .500 with 22 games left to play. They have no desire to win this year, as 2026 is the last year they control their first-round pick until 2031. They have to make the most of this pick.

The Mavericks have many needs, but none are more paramount than adding a young guard with potential who can learn from Kyrie Irving before eventually taking over the reins. It would also help free Cooper Flagg from some of his playmaking responsibilities. That's why Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has the Mavs selecting Darius Acuff Jr. with their lottery selection, currently projected to be the 7th overall pick.

"I don’t know if any player has quieted more worries over the last month with his outstanding play than Acuff. He continues to silence questions by dominating," Vecenie wrote. "The freshman guard is averaging 22 points and 6.2 assists while shooting an absurd 49.1 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from 3, and 79.3 percent from the line. He’s the most polished floor general in college basketball. He plays off two feet and moves well without the ball to set up his on-ball moves. His passes are always crisp and on-target, even if his vision and his highlight-reel passes are a bit less polished than some others in the class. His decision-making is superb, and he rarely turns the ball over, posting a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

"The only two quibbles that scouts still bring up are whether he can consistently get paint touches against NBA athleticism and length and whether he can guard anyone consistently. In terms of the former, he’s done just about everything in his power to make me a believer that he can separate, thanks to the threat of his shot and elite pace. But the latter is something I’m definitely concerned about. Even though Acuff is stocky and strong, he’s the worst defender of the players slated to go in the top 10 by a wide margin. He struggles to get through screens and shows a lack of engagement too regularly off the ball. Still, the offensive skill package is so good that it’s hard to see how he doesn’t at least turn into a starting-caliber point guard with All-Star upside."

Feb 25, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr. prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Could Jason Kidd Live With a Player Who Is a Bad Defender?

Jason Kidd wants his teams to have good defenses, and Acuff just is not a good defender. However, his offensive prowess could make him too good to pass on.

It also helps that the Dallas Mavericks have plenty of defenders around him who can help. Cooper Flagg is an elite two-way player, Dereck Lively II will hopefully be healthy next year to anchor the middle, Max Christie is a solid defender, and P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall are versatile defenders, as well.

Having Acuff learn from Irving could be a great fit, as well. Irving has been tremendous this season as a leader since he's still recovering from ACL surgery, but he could help Acuff with one of his weaknesses, which is consistently getting paint touches. No one is better at that as a smaller guard than Irving.

Irving has also improved as a defender as he's gotten older, which could help Acuff a lot.

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