Hawks Mock Draft: Atlanta lands Kingston Flemings with the 8th pick then moves back up for elite rebounder

We are less than three weeks away from the 2026 NBA Draft.

This is a deep draft at the guard spot, and there is enough center talent (though there is a significant drop-off after the lottery) that the Atlanta Hawks are going to have a golden opportunity to fill their two biggest needs in the draft.

After trading away Trae Young back in January, the Hawks don't have a long-term answer at the point guard spot. CJ McCollum (not really a point guard) did a nice job of helping run the Hawks' offense after the trade and both Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels are serviceable playmakers as well, with Johnson being one of the league leaders in assists.

But the playoffs showed that the Hawks need a shot maker and shot creator in their halfcourt offense and getting someone that could help in the short term, but also be the long-term solution alongside the core already in place would be an ideal outcome for the Hawks.

The other big need is at center. Onyeka Okongwu is a very good (and underrated) center, but the Hawks have got to find some size, rim protection, and rebounding to go along with him, as the series vs the Knicks illustrated. Atlanta needs to have more versatility in the froncourt to be able to deal with certain lineups and there are options in this draft.

In my latest mock draft, Atlanta fills both of those holes and makes up a move up to do so.

Round 1, No, 8 overall pick: Houston Guard Kingston Flemings

If the Hawks stay at No. 8 and don't move up or down, they will have the opportunity to take one of the four highly touted guard prospects. Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemings, Darius Acuff Jr, and Mikel Brown Jr would all be interesting fits, but of the four, I think that Wagler and Flemings would be the best fits for this roster.

I don't think that Wagler will be there and Flemings is the most likely of the four to slip in my opinion.

Of the four guards, Flemings is the best defender, and I am intrigued by potential growth on the offensive end of the floor. He was asked to do a lot in the style that Houston likes to play, and his ability to get quality shots was lacking. I think that is going to improve in the NBA with better teammates and better shooting around him, and I think that Quin Snyder would love to have him lead this team in the future.

There are questions around his size and three-point shooting, but

Round 1, pick 15: Washington center Hannes Steinbach

Hawks trade Zaccharie Risacher and the No. 23 pick to the Chicago Bulls to move up to No. 15.

If the Hawks take a guard at No. 8, I think it is possible that they will attempt to move back up to land one of the center prospects in this draft. Again, at a certain point, the dropoff in quality at the center position is steep, and I think if the Hawks' front office wants to land their guy, they will make it happen.

The Bulls are a natural trade partner with the Hawks. The new Bulls lead executive, Bryson Graham, is coming over from Atlanta and has already admitted that the Bulls are going to be in rebuilding mode. Moving down eight spots and landing the former No. 1 overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher, could be a smart move on their part.

I think that Washington center Hannes Steinbach would check a lot of the boxes that the Hawks are looking for. For the Huskies last season, Steinbach averaged 18.5 PPG and 11.8 RPG in nearly 35 minutes per game. He is the best rebounder in this draft and even showed a little flash of being able to stretch the floor, shooting 34% on threes last season on nearly two attempts per game. I know that is not a large sample size, but it is better than nothing and shows that there might be something to develop.

Add us as a preferred source on Google