The Dallas Mavericks have been on the struggle bus in recent weeks, losers of eight straight games after Tuesday night's defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks. At this point, the main things that Mavericks fans have to look forward to are the development of star rookie Cooper Flagg and the NBA Draft lottery, which is slated for May.
At the trade deadline, the Mavericks opted to cut their losses from the Luka Doncic trade by sending big man Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards, although they surprised some by holding onto injured point guard Kyrie Irving, who will not play this season as he recovers from ACL surgery.
Recently, ESPN NBA insider Jeremy Woo released his mock draft for 2026, and he had the Mavericks selecting Irving's long-term replacement by taking Arkansas point guard Darius Acuff Jr. with the number seven overall pick.
“Acuff was named SEC Player of the Year after a stellar season that solidified him as a lottery pick. His ability to navigate tight spaces on the court, create his own offense and find teammates has been a major separator,” noted Woo on ESPN.com.
Woo also pointed out that “Dallas is another potential point guard landing spot, with Kyrie Irving now 33 and the Mavs building around the rising Cooper Flagg. Finding a long-term starter at the position would be a coup for their future.”
Indeed, Irving doesn't necessarily seem to fit the timeline of the Mavericks, who have fully embraced a rebuild around Flagg, whom they lucked into with the number one overall pick last year.
Adding Acuff would give the Mavericks another building block in the form of an electric scorer who can put relentless pressure on opposing defenses, and would give Flagg more room to operate.
The NBA lottery is set to take place on May 10.
