The Brooklyn Nets are less than three weeks away from having to make a decision on which player they will be taking in the 2026 NBA Draft as the franchise continues its rebuild. Brooklyn has been linked to various players over the course of the pre-draft process and it seems like one of the players is as much in play for the No. 6 overall pick as anyone else.
“The Nets have engendered by far the most speculation among sources. I’ve also heard a lot of contradictory information, which is an indication that there is some smoke billowing from Barclays Center,” Sam Vecenie wrote in his latest mock draft for The Athletic. Vecenie took the time to speak with various executives and scouts and took those conversations into account when explaining why his mock draft goes the way it does.
“I’ve heard all the guard prospects in this range for them, from Wagler to Acuff to Kingston Flemings to Mikel Brown Jr.,” Vecenie continued. “I’ve heard Nate Ament quite a bit over the last week. I’ve also heard Mara’s name creep into the conversation, as well as the potential trade-down offers.” As Vecenie alludes to, there seems to be so much speculation around who the Nets will be taking that it’s hard to pin down what to follow.
Vecenie projects the Nets to take Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. which makes sense considering how the draft board is expected to shake out according to most mock drafts. At this point in the pre-draft cycle, it seems that Brooklyn would have the choice between Acuff and Illinois guard Keaton Wagler, potentially depending on which of them the Los Angeles Clippers take with the No. 5 pick.
“I’m going with Acuff for now. If the Nets really do want the best player, I think it’s him. The city would fall in love with him as a fearless guard with toughness,” Vecenie wrote on Acuff. With the Nets still in the early stages of its rebuild, the most likely outcome is that they go with the best player available when it’s their turn to pick and as of now, it seems like Acuff will be their guy come Jun. 23.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets mocked to take Darius Acuff Jr. in 2026 NBA Draft (The Athletic)
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire | USA TODAY Network
