Many thought that Darius Acuff Jr. would go to the Brooklyn Nets as the No. 6 pick in the NBA Draft at Barclays Center in New York on Tuesday. He seemed like a perfect fit for the squad with his offensive prowess and lethal explosiveness.
The Nets, however, went with Mikel Brown Jr. It was anything but a surprise, as Brooklyn did not hide its interest in Brown, even though he was hampered by a back injury in his lone year at Louisville.
It could be argued that it was a toss-up between Brown and Acuff, as they have similar attributes. Acuff, who starred at Arkansas, went to the Kings at No. 7.
When asked about the Nets passing up on him, the 19-year-old Acuff did not see it as a big deal.
“I’m good wherever I go. It wasn’t like a bad reaction or anything. They (Nets) picked a great player, but I’m excited to be a King. That’s all I’m focused on,” said Acuff in the video posted by WFAN Sports Radio.
Darius Acuff Jr. tells @ZachGelb his thoughts on the Nets passing him up for Mikel Brown Jr.: pic.twitter.com/58j1MAM90J
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) June 24, 2026
Acuff averaged 23.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 6.4 assists in his one-and-done stint at Arkansas. He turned heads in the NCAA Tournament with his high-scoring exploits, even earning comparisons to Kyrie Irving. The Razorbacks were eliminated in the Sweet 16.
But Brown was not shabby either, tallying 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 steals. Louisville was booted out in the second round of March Madness.
The 20-year-old Brown said he is excited to strut his stuff in Brooklyn.
“I think I fit into the system really well and what Coach Jordi (Fernandez) has built with them. I got to see the team. The team was there when I came to work out. You can see the bond, the maturity, and the camaraderie that they had,” said Brown, as quoted by Nets Daily.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn picked Joshua Jefferson out of Iowa State with the No. 28 pick.
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