Hawks Add Two Competitors in First Round of 2026 NBA Draft

The Atlanta Hawks walked away from the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft with two players they believe fit the culture they are building.

Atlanta selected guard Kingston Flemings with the No. 8 overall pick and forward Zuby Ejiofor with the No. 23 overall pick Thursday night, adding two talented and highly competitive players to the roster.

“We’re really excited about the two guys we brought in,” Hawks President of Basketball Operations Onsi Saleh said. “I felt like we brought in the two best competitors in the draft. Both Kingston and Zuby are guys that compete at a high level on both ends of the court every day and fit everything that we are about.”

Flemings arrives in Atlanta after a historic freshman season at Houston. The 6-foot-3 guard started all 37 games for the Cougars and averaged 16.1 points, 5.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while shooting nearly 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range.

The freshman sensation led Houston in scoring, assists and steals while becoming the first freshman in program history to start all 37 games. His 594 points set a new school record for a freshman.

Flemings earned Consensus All-Big 12 First Team honors and became the first Houston freshman to earn All-America recognition. He also turned heads with a 42-point performance against Texas Tech and recorded eight steals in a victory over Florida State.

A native of Newport News, Virginia, and a product of Brennan High School in San Antonio, Texas, Flemings was named the 2024-25 Gatorade Texas Player of the Year before heading to Houston.

Later in the first round, Atlanta added another proven winner in Ejiofor.

The 6-foot-8 forward spent time at Kansas before starring at St. John’s, where he developed into one of the most complete players in college basketball. During his final season, Ejiofor averaged 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocks per game while helping lead St. John’s to its first Sweet 16 appearance since 1999.

His list of accomplishments is impressive. Ejiofor was named BIG EAST Player of the Year, BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player and BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year — becoming the first player in conference history to win all four honors in the same season.

The Garland, Texas native also left his mark on the St. John’s record books, finishing fifth all-time in blocked shots and becoming just the fourth player in program history to record a triple-double.

The Hawks were looking for toughness, versatility and players who embrace competition. Based on their first-round selections, they believe they found exactly that.

With Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor now headed to Atlanta, the Hawks have added two young players eager to compete, develop and contribute to the franchise’s future.

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