Atlanta Hawks 2026 NBA Draft Profile - Houston Guard Kingston Flemings

The Atlanta Hawks had a bounce-back season, with one of the most promising cores in the NBA, and are looking to build on that in this year's upcoming NBA Draft. As of now, the Hawks have an All-NBA and NBA All-Star, Jalen Johnson; the NBA Most Improved Player, Nickeil Alexander-Walker; and an All-Defensive Second Team Player in Dyson Daniels.

However, the Hawks are looking to find a true replacement for what Trae Young brought to the team, and adding Houston guard Kingston Flemings is a good start.

Let's take a look at how some of his strengths and weaknesses can impact the Hawks if they draft him:

Strengths

Houston guard Kingston Fleming — Mar 21, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings (4) drives to the hoop past Texas A&M Aggies guard Ali Dibba (6) during the second half of a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Flemings possesses the necessary tools to be a significant presence at the point guard position for Atlanta. Flemings is known to have elite-level court vision and processing, as he has a high assist-to-turnover ratio, along with two-way versatility.

One of the standout pieces about Flemings game is his ability to stay consistent with a very active and energetic defensive prowess, a max vertical of 40.5 inches, and active hands on defense that help him maintain his position at the point of attack, which has led to his 1.5 steals per game.

Lastly, his offensive bag is endless: his burst and high ball-handling skills, the rim pressure he adds that makes it easier for teammates to score and for himself to draw fouls, and his mid-range shot. When given the opportunity, Flemings could also be a go-to spot-up shooter, be elite in transition, and take care of the basketball with a low average of 1.8 turnovers per game.

With Fleming's size metrics being 6-foot-4 inches, a 6-foot-3-inch wingspan, and weighing 190 pounds, there is a lot of potential for him in Atlanta.

Weaknesses

While Flemings is a very promising talent, he still has areas where he needs to be better in. Specifically, his shot activity, ability to deal with contact inside the paint, learning how to switch paces, and being mismatched on defense.

At Houston, while Flemings shot the ball well, he still only shot the ball an average of 10 times per game. This is a bit strange considering how efficient Flemings can be; however, it will be worth paying attention to whether he can be this efficient in Atlanta, given the Hawks' need for another scorer and his transition to the NBA.

While Flemings possesses the physical attributes needed to be a good defender, he can still be targeted due to his lack of muscle and his wingspan not being as useful when guarding bigger scorers on the wing.

When taking on higher competition later in the season, there were instances where Flemings scoring abilities dropped at the rim due to him playing against bigger players inside. While Flemings can still score inside at a high clip, there will need to be a noticeable improvement in his size for him to be consistent in the NBA at doing this.

Season Averages: 16.1 points, 5.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals. Shooting Splits: 47% field goal, 38% three-point, 84% free throw

Overall Fit

Of the the top guard prospects in this 2026 Draft, there might not be a better fit for the Hawks than Flemings due to his elite two-way potential.

There are going to be concerns about his size and shooting, but Flemings fits the profile of the kind of guards that the Hawks want on their team, and I think he could step into the role that Gabe Vincent had last year as the lead guard off the bench, while developing into a future starter with the core of Johnson, Okongwu, Alexander-Walker, and Dyson Daniels.

Will he be available when the Hawks pick? That is to be determined, as any of the three teams in front of the Hawks- the Clippers, Nets, or Kings- could take him. If he is there however, don't be surprised if Onsi Saleh and the Hawks front office pull the trigger and take the talented guard to add to their team.

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