Bucks could steal Spurs' blueprint if March Madness standout keeps balling

Victor Wembanyama isn't the only good thing the San Antonio Spurs have going. Just as crucial to the current core is their exciting guard trio of De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper. Don't forget about Devin Vassell. 

The Milwaukee Bucks could use the 2026 NBA Draft to replicate that formula in their own backcourt. They already have Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr. would complete the triangle, and he's given the Bucks every reason to take note with his electric play of late. 

Acuff is shining even brighter as the stage gets bigger

Acuff capped an already outstanding regular season by being even better down the stretch. He garnered national attention with a 49-point performance in double overtime against Alabama. He scored 20-plus points in 10 of his last 11 regular-season games, tying a season-high 13 assists in the finale. 

Acuff has only risen further in postseason play. He led Arkansas to an SEC Conference Tournament championship by averaging 30.3 points and 7.7 assists. In round one of the NCC Tournament, he dropped an easy 24 and seven in a win over Hawai'i. 

Overall in his freshman season, Acuff is averaging 23 points, 6.6 assists, and just 2.2 turnovers on 49/44/81 shooting splits. 

With the Bucks likely headed for a top 10 pick, they should have the chance to add Acuff if they want to, assuming his stock doesn't shoot through the roof and beyond Milwaukee's draft range. While small forward remains the roster's biggest hole, creating a threesome of Acuff, Rollins, and Porter would be hard to resist.

Bucks could make it work if they chose to

It would, of course, require re-signing Porter in free agency. He has outplayed his $5.4 million player option in 2026-27, so the Bucks will have to grant him a raise to hold onto him. Even accounting for that, he should be affordable. Porter's playmaking and overall production are more than enough reasons to bring him back at a reasonable cost. 

In drafting Acuff, General Manager Jon Horst would need to look past his two biggest, related flaws: lack of size and poor defense. At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, he isn't tiny, but that is somewhat of a smaller guard in today's NBA.

Given his age, though, he could still be in for a growth spurt. Increasing his body mass should come naturally. With Rollins also standing 6-foot-3, although he has excellent length and is a superb defender, the Bucks would most likely start by bringing Acuff off the bench to mitigate the size concerns. 

Acuff's shooting ability would compensate for defensive issues 

One advantage Milwaukee's group would have: shooting. Porter's 3-point stroke has come back to earth after a scorching start, dipping all the way to a paltry 32 percent. But Rollins is money (41 percent), and Acuff certainly looks that way at the college level. Defensively, both Rollins and Porter would help counteract Acuff's drawbacks with their strong two-way play. 

By contrast, Fox is shooting only 34 percent this season and owns a career mark of 33 percent. Castle and Harper are worse. That's not to say that they can't improve somewhat, but their shooting struggles in college have translated thus far in the pros. 

If Acuff keeps playing like this, his offensive upside should outweigh other concerns. He offers enough there for the Bucks to forgo a small forward in a thin first-round class, attempting instead to emulate the formula that has worked quite well for the Spurs.