Warriors Predicted to Take Explosive Guard in Expert's 2026 Mock Draft

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman published a 2026 mock draft Tuesday, and in it he has the Golden State Warriors adding explosive scoring guard Darius Acuff Jr.

The 18-year-old Arkansas freshman is averaging 16.8 points, 4.3 assists and 2.5 three-pointers in six games this season.

At 6'3", Acuff will likely be a point guard in the pros.

Acuff Would Fill Need as Backup PG to Start Career

In the 2021-22 championship season, Jordan Poole was essentially a shooting guard when Stephen Curry was on the floor and a point guard when Curry was off.

Acuff would likely fill that role as a rookie.

"Darius Acuff Jr. has showcased his shiftiness off the dribble, shotmaking and vision in ball-screen situations," Wasserman wrote. "He's looked physical finishing at the rim, dangerous with his dribble/changing speeds and threatening both pulling up and stepping into jumpers."

Sounds like Poole, doesn't it?

247Sports ranked Acuff fifth in the 2025 class, and the site's director of scouting Adam Finkelstein called him "the most dominant and dynamic lead guard in the class."

The Warriors are severely lacking in explosive ball-handlers. Jimmy Butler is essentially the point guard of the second unit, and it's fair to say he's overburdened by having to create offense on almost every possession when Curry is off the floor.

Acuff would give the Warriors another threat who could take some attention off Butler and Curry.

Should the Warriors Target More Size?

If Acuff is clearly the best player available, then the Warriors shouldn't worry about position and instead focus on talent.

If they have a similarly graded player who would bring above-average size to his position, they could lean that way to help them more in the short term.

But it's not an obvious answer.

It would be surprising if the player(s) they take in the 2026 draft have a huge positive impact on the 2026-27 season. So they really should be thinking more about the long term.

Acuff would be Curry's long-term replacement, so in that sense he'd be filling a crucial need.

Who Are Some Other Options with Golden State's 1st-Round Pick?

Let's assume Acuff is off the board when the Warriors are on the clock. Who else can they target?

Wasserman has Michigan 7'3" center Aday Mara going 23rd. Mara is leading the nation with 3.0 blocks per game, and he's also shown some passing ability with 2.2 assists per game.

The Warriors rank 23rd in rebound rate, so they'd welcome having Mara (9.8 RPG).

Another route the Warriors could go is taking a big wing. Wasserman has a 6'8" Duke wing going 17th.

"Dame Sarr has established his value early with spot-up shooting, transition finishing and point-of-attack defense.

"The lack of ball-handling and dropped passes paint him as raw. Scouts will want to have confidence in his shooting, given his lack of creation or passing. But so far, Sarr has looked comfortable spotting up from three, and scouts should feel good about his tools and athleticism for slashing and defending."

Point-of-attack defense has been a sore spot for the Warriors. Perhaps Sarr could help fix that issue as a rookie.