The Washington Wizards didn't invest much to trade for four-time All-Star Trae Young ahead of the NBA trade deadline, but the team has still made it clear that the playmaker is focal point of their plans moving forward.
Considering he's proven to be one of the best players at his position and the fact that he's entering his prime at 27, it's easy to understand exactly why that is.
With that being the case, it won't be a shock to see the team's front office begin to clue their new cornerstone in on their future moves and with the 2026 NBA Draft looming, all signs could point to Young's impact on shaping the roster beginning.
Nonetheless, with the recent report from NBA insider Jake Fischer about top prospect Darius Acuff Jr. climbing draft boards, it may be worth Washington taking advice from Young this offseason considering he was well before the curve when it comes to Acuff's surge.
Trae Young is high on Darius Acuff Jr.
Darius Acuff Jr. has been among the most talked about players in all of college basketball over the course of the last couple months, but arguably one of the first NBA players to highlight the Arkansas freshman was Young following a huge performance against Alabama.
Averaging 23.5 points, 6,4 assists and 3.1 rebounds, while shooting an efficient 48.4% from field goal range and 44.0% from beyond the arc, it doesn't come as a shock to see the SEC standout rising up draft boards.
In fact, if you ask Young, the only surprising part about his rise would be how long it took for the hype to reach this point.
Washington's backcourt may seem crowded right now, but if the team is put in a position where AJ Dybantsa is off the board when it's their turn to pick, the Wizards will have a serious decision to make if they're plagued with the choice of drafting between Cam Boozer, Darryn Peterson or Acuff Jr. (assuming the Wizards land a top 3 pick).
That's the point in which the team may want to refrain from ignoring Young's high praise.
Wizards in position to select best player available
Obviously, Dybantsa's monster freshman season at BYU has put him among most teams draft boards entering the offseason and the Wizards, along with every other team, would be ecstatic about adding him to the mix.
And while Boozer would answer questions for Washington for sure, the Wizards are in a position where they could pivot to best player available when it's their turn to pick if Dybantsa is unavailable.
That said, the team should seriously consider selecting Acuff Jr. if he's there for the opportunity to build around a extremely dynamic backcourt moving forward.