Atlanta holds two first-round picks in the 2026 draft — the No. 8 overall selection acquired from New Orleans and the No. 23 pick acquired from Cleveland — and Bleacher Report projects the Hawks to use both efficiently, selecting Houston’s Kingston Flemings at No. 8 and Duke’s Isaiah Evans at No. 23.

The New Orleans pick represents one of the most valuable assets Atlanta accumulated during its Trae Young era — a pick that originated from the 2021 blockbuster with Utah and was later flipped to the Pelicans and then back to Atlanta. The No. 23 from Cleveland arrived via a separate transaction. Together, they give the Hawks two chances to rebuild their backcourt identity after trading Young to Washington last February.

Flemings is a 6-foot-3 point guard out of Houston who profiles as Young’s stylistic successor without being Young’s clone. He’s a natural live-dribble passer with strong pull-up shooting numbers and the kind of cool under pressure that reads as unusual for a freshman. What separates Flemings from Young is his defensive profile — he has legitimate twitchiness, impressive lateral quickness, and the competitiveness on that end that Young famously lacked. He should not get bullied physically despite his frame, and his defensive impact could actually be a net positive from day one.

The fit beside All-Star forward Jalen Johnson is the critical test. Johnson is Atlanta’s franchise cornerstone — a 6-foot-8 forward with playmaking ability, defensive versatility, and scoring range that makes him one of the better young players in the conference. He needs a guard who can operate the offense, make decisions at pace, and hit open threes when defenses collapse on Johnson’s drives. Flemings’ combination of live-dribble passing and reliable pull-up shooting checks both boxes.

The player selected immediately after Flemings at No. 8 is Aday Mara, the Michigan center who goes to the Clippers at No. 11 in this projection (with picks 9 and 10 going to Dallas and Milwaukee respectively). Passing on Mara — a 7-foot-3 center with exceptional passing and paint protection — is a legitimate trade-off, but Atlanta already has Clint Capela under contract and doesn’t need interior size as urgently as it needs guard creation.

At No. 23, Evans is one of the finest movement shooters in the class, a Duke sophomore who made real strides as an on-ball creator in his second collegiate season. He is 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan and the shooting mechanics of a player who has studied the craft since childhood. His catch-and-shoot numbers are elite, and his ability to get free off screens makes him a natural fit in the modern offense Atlanta runs under coach Quin Snyder.

Outlet	Projected Player
Bleacher Report	Kingston Flemings
CBS Sports	Mikel Brown Jr.
Tankathon	Aday Mara
Yahoo Sports	Mikel Brown Jr.

CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein, Gary Parrish, and Isaac Trotter all project Mikel Brown Jr. to Atlanta at No. 8. Tankathon diverges, placing Michigan center Aday Mara with the Hawks at the same slot — a more frontcourt-oriented approach that reflects Atlanta’s documented need for interior size alongside Jalen Johnson. Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor also projects Brown Jr. to the Hawks, consistent with the CBS consensus.

The Hawks’ shooting needs are real and well-documented. Dyson Daniels is a defensive stalwart but not a three-point threat; Corey Kispert and Buddy Hield both offer spacing but neither is guaranteed meaningful rotation minutes. Evans at No. 23 fills a specific role within this offense — someone who earns playing time immediately by occupying the weak side and punishing defenses that collapse on Johnson and Flemings.

Taking Flemings at No. 8 and Evans at No. 23 gives Atlanta a genuine offensive identity: a smart, athletic, defense-capable young point guard running the show alongside one of the league’s best young forwards, supported by a reliable catch-and-shoot wing who understands where and when to release. That’s not a championship formula yet, but it’s a real foundation — exactly what the Hawks need to make their post-Young rebuild feel purposeful rather than aimless.