The Atlanta Hawks walked into the 2026 NBA draft with a clear problem and a mixed bag of picks. They had just pushed the eventual champion Knicks to six games in the first round, and what did that series expose? They had no answer for Karl-Anthony Towns. The roster had one real center. One. And he got hurt before the playoffs even started.
So when draft night arrived, the Hawks held three selections. They used them on a point guard, a combo forward, and a stretch five. In that order. And the grade depends entirely on whether you trust the front office’s long game.
Pick 8: Kingston Flemings, G, Houston
This is the pick that came from the Pelicans trade, and the Hawks used it on a 6-foot-4 guard who can create his own shot. Flemings averaged 16.1 points and 5.2 assists as a freshman while shooting nearly 39% from three. He’s quick, he’s athletic, and he fills the playmaking void left when Trae Young was traded.
But here’s the thing. The Hawks already have guards. They needed a big. Aday Mara went four picks later to Oklahoma City, and he’s 7-foot-3 with real post skills. Flemings is going to be a good player. Maybe a very good one. But the Hawks’ biggest hole is still a hole.
Grade: B+
Pick 23: Zuby Ejiofor, F, St. John’s
At first this felt like a reach. The Hawks already have forward depth. Aaron Wiggins is there. The roster is loaded with wings. But Ejiofor brings something different — a 6-foot-9 frame with a motor that doesn’t stop. He averaged 16.3 points and 7.3 boards as a senior, and he shot 53% from the field. He’s not a center, though. He’s a power forward who can guard inside a little but is best as a small-ball five in certain lineups.
The more you think about it, the more this pick makes sense if the Hawks planned something else later in the draft. Ejiofor fits the defensive identity they’re building. He’s physical, he rebounds, and he does the dirty work. But he doesn’t solve the size problem.
Grade: A+
Pick 53 (via Clippers): Henri Veesaar, C, North Carolina
This is where the Hawks finally addressed the elephant in the room. They traded up to grab a 7-footer from North Carolina who played his best ball as a senior. Veesaar averaged 17 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting 60% from the field and 42% from three. He can stretch the floor. He can protect the rim. He is exactly the type of center the Hawks needed.
The concerns are real — ESPN’s draft scouting noted questions about his physicality and lateral mobility. But for a second-round pick, the Hawks got a player who can step into a rotation and give them something they didn’t have. Jock Landale proved the stretch-five concept could work in Atlanta. Veesaar is the younger, cheaper version.
The Hawks still need to add a veteran center in free agency. But for the first time in a while, they actually have a 7-footer in the building who looks like he belongs.
Grade: A+
The Hawks addressed their biggest need with their last pick and their smallest need with their first. That’s not the ideal order. But the quality of the players they brought in is real. If Veesaar hits, nobody will remember the order.
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