ESPN's latest mock draft has the Atlanta Hawks taking Houston guard Kingston Flemings at No. 8 over Michigan center Aday Mara. Here's why it's the right call.
For some time now, it's felt like the Atlanta Hawks would choose between two prospects with the 8th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
For a while, Michigan's Aday Mara was gaining traction. It was not hard to see why. At 7'3", Mara is nearly guaranteed a role in the NBA. He has surprising passing abilities and could develop into a floor spacer one day. Yet, ESPN's latest mock draft has the Hawks going with Houston's Kingston Flemings:
And that's probably the right call.
Hawks Should Grab Flemings With the Eighth Pick
The operative word is "probably".
Let's talk about Mara some more. He has the higher ceiling between the two prospects. At 7'3", how could he not? Mara's height is the type of physical trait that cannot be taught. He just anchored Michigan to a national title and walked away with Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, so the upside is real.
By contrast, Flemings stands just 6'4", with a neutral wingspan. He does not have the same physical gifts.
So what makes him the right choice?
Well, Flemings' blinding speed is one factor. That will allow the Hawks and their platoon of transition-friendly players to run and gun. Still, you'd have to look beyond the athletic traits to justify the selection.
Despite his unimpressive wingspan, Flemings is a strong point-of-attack defender. He also shot 38.7% from deep last year. We're starting to circle the point:
Flemings has a much higher floor than Mara.
He's practically a can't-miss prospect. Flemings will be a three-and-D guard who can provide secondary ball-handling. That makes him a perfect point guard for a team that has a point forward like Jalen Johnson on their roster. The numbers back that up. As a freshman, Flemings averaged 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists, earned consensus second-team All-American honors, and led Houston to the Big 12 title game and a Sweet 16 appearance. Scouts have even floated a De'Aaron Fox comparison.
Simply put, that's something they need more than Mara.
Hawks Can Lock Up Franchise Point Guard
More broadly, it's a matter of scarcity. Locking down a point guard is a higher-order priority because quality point guards are more difficult to find than quality big men.
If Mara's shooting was truly developed, it could be a different story. Floor-spacing big men are a hotter commodity. Since he's only a shooter in theory, he's a less obvious choice.
It also bears repeating that the Hawks have been searching for a true lead guard since moving on from Trae Young, and that void is exactly the kind of hole a top-10 pick should fill.
This is a Hawks team that ran Dyson Daniels at point guard last year. He did an admirable job at times, but getting floor spacing from that position would be highly beneficial. Daniels could take a lead reserve role where he gets a starter's share of minutes between the 1, 2, and 3. Flemings could be the team's franchise point guard of the future:
How can they pass on that?
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