Hawks 2026 NBA Draft grades for every pick

Jun 25, 2026 - 04:00

Heading into the 2026 NBA draft, the Atlanta Hawks had several positions of need. Though they feature several talented players and show the strength of their current roster by taking the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks to six games in the first round, guard playmaking and frontcourt depth were top of mind for Hawks fans.

The Atlanta Hawks seem to be a few pieces away from being one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, and the draft is a great place to start acquiring top-tier talent. How did the Atlanta Hawks do with their three selections in the 2026 NBA draft?

Kingston Flemings

Guard, Houston

Round 1, Pick 8

With the highly anticipated pick the Hawks acquired in last year’s trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, the team selected Houston guard Kingston Flemings. The move was solid, as it addressed the need for a point guard who can create for himself and others, something Atlanta lost when it moved on from Trae Young. Flemings had a strong freshman season for the Cougars, averaging 16.1 points, 5.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 38.7% from three-point range. His athleticism also stood out, and his skill set fits well with the current construction of Atlanta’s roster. However, I believe the better selection would have been Aday Mara.

I think Flemings is going to be a very good player during his time with the Hawks. More than anything, though, Atlanta needed a quality center with size to match up against dominant big men like the New York Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns, who emerged as a key factor in New York’s comeback from a 2-1 series deficit against the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. Mara ultimately slid to No. 12, where he was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that also needed more size after its seven-game series loss to the Spurs.

Flemings is not a bad pick by any means, but I believe the Hawks’ biggest need was at center, and they should have used their first selection in the draft to address that hole immediately.

Grade: B+

Zuby Ejiofor

Forward, St. Johns

Round 1, Pick 23

At first glance, the selection of Zuby Ejiofor with the 23rd pick was confounding. The Hawks already have significant depth at both forward positions, particularly after acquiring Aaron Wiggins. As time went on, however, and after the move Saleh and the Hawks made in the second round, the selection began to make more sense. Ejiofor fits well with the defensive-minded roster the Hawks are building. He played four seasons in college—one at Kansas and three at St. John’s. During the 2025-26 season, Ejiofor averaged 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 53.6% from the field in 37 games.

While many project Ejiofor as a small-ball five, I believe he’ll be most effective as a rugged power forward who does the dirty work by crashing the glass and thriving in the dunker spot. I also believe the Hawks can continue to develop his offensive game to fit their system, and he has the potential to become one of the league’s better interior defenders.

The Hawks still needed to add depth at center, as last season’s roster featured just one player taller than 7 feet and only two players standing 6-foot-11 or taller in Jock Landale and Mouhamed Gueye. Landale suffered an injury before the start of the playoffs, and Gueye didn’t see significant action against the Knicks.

But some savvy Day 2 draft maneuvering ultimately gave the Hawks an answer at the five.

Grade: A+

Henri Veesaar

Center, North Carolina

Round 2, Pick 53 (traded from Los Angeles Clippers)

The Hawks initially held the No. 57 pick in the second round but traded with the Clippers to move up to No. 52 and select North Carolina center Henri Veesaar, a 7-footer who is the type of player Hawks fans had been hoping the team would draft. Veesaar spent two seasons at Arizona, missing the 2023-24 season with an elbow injury before transferring to North Carolina, where he anchored the frontcourt alongside former UNC star and new Bulls draft pick Caleb Wilson. He enjoyed the best season of his college career, averaging 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 60.8% from the field and an impressive 42.6% from three-point range.

While he isn’t Aday Mara, Veesaar could fit perfectly into the Hawks’ center rotation. His ability to stretch the floor should complement an offense that relies heavily on dribble penetration in the half-court. The trade deadline acquisition of Jock Landale also proved significant as a proof of concept for the type of player that Veesaar could be, as Landale is a stretch five who shot 39.1% from three-point range over 23 games with Atlanta.

The verdict is still out on how good Veesaar can become. ESPN’s draft analysis noted concerns about his physicality, rebounding, and lateral mobility on the defensive end. Still, the Hawks finally have a legitimate 7-footer in the building, and fans will likely hope the front office adds a proven veteran center in free agency to further solidify the team’s frontcourt depth.