Former Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr. has been drawing heightened attention ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft, which kicks off on Tuesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Acuff is widely projected to be a top 10 pick, with a possibility of going in the top five.
However, according to former NBA star Jeff Teague, there have been rumblings about Acuff’s work ethic that could cast the backcourt standout in a not-so-positive light heading into the draft.
Darius Acuff Jr. Faces Concerning Scrutiny Approaching 2026 NBA Draft
Speaking on the “Club 520 Podcast,” Teague, who won an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks back in 2021, shared some troubling intel he’s received about Acuff.
“I got some reports on Darius Acuff,” Teague began. “People question his work ethic. They question his circle a little bit. … They still say he valuable, people just question. Some of his teammates at IMG didn’t quite [expletive] with him.”
People around the league are reportedly raising concerns about Darius Acuff Jr.’s work ethic, the people he surrounds himself with, and his relationships with teammates at IMG, per @Teague0 pic.twitter.com/nynJHT5cNS
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 18, 2026
This past season with the Razorbacks, Acuff averaged 23.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. He shot 48.4% from the floor and 44% from behind the 3-point arc. The 19-year-old only spent his freshman year at Arkansas before becoming one of the top prospects to commit to this year’s draft.
In a May interview with Andscape at the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Chicago, Acuff predicted that he would one day be viewed as the “best player” in his class.
“Five years from now, they will say I was the best player that was going to come out, for sure,” Acuff said. “Some people are going to be surprised. But some people in the back of their minds are probably [going to be] saying, ‘We probably should have been saying this.'”
Experts have billed Acuff as a lead guard with elite scoring ability, advanced playmaking skills, and physical strength. As for his weaknesses, pundits point toward his defensive limitations along with his questionable shot selection and high usage. Acuff’s play has been compared to New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who just capped off his first NBA title run.
Multiple outlets are predicting Acuff to land with the Sacramento Kings at the No. 7 spot in the first round of next week’s draft.
However, Teague’s latest report on Acuff’s potential off-court concerns might give some NBA front offices pause when deciding whether to hand him the reins.
