The ripple effects of the New York Knicks' NBA championship run are already being felt. This time, across town in Brooklyn.

Just days after the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, capturing their first NBA title since 1973, ESPN draft analyst Jeremy Woo has projected the Brooklyn Nets to select Darius Acuff Jr. with the No. 6 overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NBA draft.

The draft is scheduled for June 23, and with the Knicks fresh off a championship run led by Jalen Brunson, another undersized guard who relies more on physicality, toughness, and skill than elite size or athleticism, teams may be taking a closer look at prospects like Acuff.

New York stormed through the postseason with a remarkable 16-3 playoff record, overcoming massive deficits throughout the Finals and proving that toughness and leadership still win championships. Brunson was at the center of it all, delivering one of the greatest closeout performances in Finals history when he erupted for 45 points in Game 5.

He not only scored nearly half of the Knicks' points that night, but also tied Michael Jordan's 1998 mark for the most points in a title-clinching road game. Unsurprisingly, the performance earned him Finals MVP honors.

Could Acuff follow a similar path across town?

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Acuff, listed around 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, the same size as Brunson, doesn’t fit the modern mold of the lead guard that NBA franchises have prioritized in recent years. Players like Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, Stephon Castle, Scoot Henderson, Amen Thompson, and Cade Cunningham represent the prototype: bigger guards with elite athleticism, length, or two-way upside.

Like the Knicks’ franchise star, Acuff is smaller, but he wins with strength, balance, footwork, change of pace, and elite three-level scoring. Despite his size, he can bully defenders into the paint, create in tight spaces, and control the tempo of the game.

Last season at Arkansas, he averaged 23.5 points, 6.4 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting 48.4% from the field and 44% from three. He led the Razorbacks to a 28–9 record and a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament. He also led the SEC in scoring and assists, earned SEC Player of the Year honors, All-American recognition, and became the first-ever freshman to win the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard.

Drafting a 6-foot-2 guard at the top of the draft still feels unconventional in today’s NBA. But the Knicks just proved that an undersized guard can be the best player on a championship team, and Brooklyn might be tempted to follow that same path.

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