Three Hogs mocked in latest 2026 NBA Draft from Bleacher Report
The 2026 NBA Draft is still months away, but the mock draft machine is up and running at full speed.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman released his latest mock draft on Tuesday and it included three Razorbacks. The mock draft is a full two-round projection, and it has Darius Acuff Jr. as a stock-riser, while Meleek Thomas and Karter Knox are further back from the lottery than they would like.
Acuff has been on a tear in recent weeks and has earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for the past three. Most recently, he dropped 27 points on the No. 8 Houston Cougars, which boast a top 10 defensive unit according to KenPom.
Knox and Thomas have had outbursts of their own, with Knox scoring 20 against Texas Tech two weekends ago and Thomas’ scoring on display for the first part of the season, but the freshman has been in a bit of a slump lately and hasn’t scored more than 10 points since Dec. 6 against Fresno State.
Darius Acuff Jr. — Round 1, Pick 10 (Dallas Mavericks)
This year’s guard class is loaded with talent for NBA teams to choose from, and Acuff has put himself squarely in that mix and is projected to go with the 10th pick of the draft in the lottery to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Detroit native drew a comparison to Stephon Marbury in Wasserman’s mock draft, and he said despite a lack of size, Acuff is showing he’s capable of impacting the game at the NBA level.
”He’s shown an effective mix of physicality and touch on drives,” Wasserman wrote in his mock draft. “His floater has been a very reliable weapon—he’s made 14-of-24 attempts. And his jumper has been a consistent threat, both off the dribble (35.4 percent) and especially off the catch (43.5 percent).
”Viewed as more of a scoring ball-handler at IMG, where he carried a heavy offensive workload, Acuff has shown both encouraging playmaking and decision-making. His dribble creativity, change of speeds and restraint running offense have led to 6.2 assists and a low 11.2 turnover rate.”
Meleek Thomas — Round 2, Pick 34 (Sacramento Kings)
Thomas has had some rough outings in recent weeks, but has shown over the first 12 games of the season that he’s a scoring threat at every level.
Despite a low scoring output over the last five games, the former five-star is still tied for second on the team in scoring at 14.2 points per game, and he and Trevon Brazile are tied for the team lead in steals per game at 1.4.
”Scouts are viewing Meleek Thomas as a scoring spark at the next level,” Wasserman’s mock draft reads. “His shot selection and playmaking numbers point to a combo guard, rather than a lead ball-handler.
However, Thomas still offers coveted creativity and shotmaking, and he does seem to operate with the type of quickness and confidence for his scoring ability to translate to an instant-offense type role.”
Karter Knox — Round 2, Pick 52 (Atlanta Hawks)
Knox was the talk of the town when he opted to pull his name out of last year’s draft and return to the program. He finished the season on an extremely high note, but he hasn’t quite lived up to that in the early going.
He hasn’t been bad, per se, and is averaging 9.2 points and 5.2 boards per game, but Knox has been hot-and-cold and hasn’t been a consistent impact player this year. He scored 20 points against Texas Tech — a game that probably felt personal to him given how last season ended — but outside of that game has mostly disappeared against high-level competition.
Against Duke, Michigan State and Louisville — Arkansas’ other marquee matchups, Knox scored a total of seven points. That kind of production will need to increase once SEC play starts.
”Viewed as a breakout prospect after a strong second half of last year, Karter Knox has seemingly become lost in the mix for an offense that’s dominated by guard play,” Wasserman wrote. “However, he’s coming off his best game of the year with 20 points against Texas Tech, showing scouts his shooting range and physical tools/athleticism around the rim.”
