The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 NBA Draft.The Sacramento Kings selected Darius Acuff Jr. with the No. 7 pick Tuesday in the NBA Draft. Acuff averaged 23.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists in his one season at Arkansas.Despite measuring 6-foot-2 in bare feet at the combine, Acuff has a strong frame and looks like an NBA guard with his well-developed shoulders and lower body. Acuff weighed almost 186 pounds at the combine and should gain even more strength as he ages into his body. He also has good length, with a wingspan measuring 6 feet 6 1/2 inches. He’s also a terrific ballhandler and separator. Above all, he plays with great leverage and gets lower than his defenders to access his athleticism. He can also create his own shot in isolation, a critical skill for an NBA lead guard.Acuff’s defense left a lot to be desired in his season with the Razorbacks. It wasn’t just one issue; it was everything. It starts at the point of attack, as he gets beaten off the bounce more often than you’d expect given his strength and quickness. He gets hoppy instead of staying down in a defensive stance, and he struggles to navigate ball screens. He seems to get clipped by every screen, takes bad angles and isn’t diligent in recovery. He also gives up on too many plays because he’s too far behind.Sam Vecenie’s draft guide summaryDarius Acuff is the most polished point guard in the 2026 NBA DraftSam VecenieThe conversation with Acuff is a difficult one. Undeniably, he’ll be valuable as an NBA player because he’s an elite shot creator with physicality and the handle to separate from opponents. His shooting improved drastically this season, which allowed him to be efficient enough despite his propensity for shots from the midrange. I’m not sure I’ve ever evaluated a more polished offensive guard as a teenager. His balance, footwork, shooting ability and passing acumen were superb. It’s why he’s one of the most productive freshman guards we’ve ever seen.Acuff’s defense was quite poor, however, and the impact metrics back up the idea that his presence was often extremely harmful on that end. The problem Acuff might run into is that this player archetype is not all that valued in the NBA right now. Trae Young, who was drastically better than Acuff as a freshman at Oklahoma and made an All-NBA team, got traded this season in what was essentially a salary-cap dump. More than ever, smaller, ball-dominant guards are not seen as useful unless they are at the apex of the league, like Jalen Brunson or Tyrese Maxey. In that vein, Acuff has a narrow pathway toward success at the highest levels of the NBA. If you think he’s that good and has a lot of NBA All-Star equity, then you should probably take him in the top six and find out.