Hawks 'really excited' with 2026 first-round selections in 2026 NBA Draft

Hawks' first round picks 'highest on their models'

Day one of the 2026 NBA Draft is officially in the books and the Atlanta Hawks stood firm with holding onto their eighth and 23rd overall picks, selecting Houston guard Kingston Flemings with the eighth pick and St. Johns forward, Zuby Ejiofor with the 23rd pick of the night.

“With Kingston [Flemings] it was just his competitive nature, his ability to play both sides of the ball and his leadership,” Hawks president of basketball operations and general manager, Onsi Saleh, said as he joined 92-9 The Game’s Carl Dukes and Mike Bell to discuss the team’s decision to select the two players. “He was the one we were really excited about,” Saleh said of Flemings

For Ejiofor, ”highest on our scouting rank, highest on our analytics model as well,” Saleh said of the six-foot, nine inch, 245 pound forward. “The guy can guard one through five, point guards, there’s clips of him guarding Darryn Peterson at times,” Saleh said of Ejiofor. “He can guard anybody on the floor,” Saleh said.