The 2026 NBA Draft grades have been released, and the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder each earned the highest overall marks. The grading system evaluated every first- and second-round pick and rolled those grades into a team score. The release arrives just days after Atlanta re-signed CJ McCollum to a one-year, $21 million contract, a move that frames the Hawks’ draft strategy.

Atlanta’s offseason pivot centered on a lottery gamble on Flemings, a 183-pound wing whose game is built on a surgical mid-range touch and an explosive first step. Flemings’ college résumé highlighted a high-percentage shooting window inside the arc, but his limited three-point volume raised questions in a spacing-driven NBA. The Hawks also added Ejiofor, an undersized but length-rich center whose jumper remains a work in progress, and Veesaar, who fell to Atlanta after refusing a two-way contract.

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From a scheme perspective, Flemings fits a point-forward mold that could relieve McCollum’s playmaking burden while preserving a perimeter-oriented offense. His ability to create off the dribble and deliver accurate mid-range jumpers can stretch defenses that still over-commit to the three-point line. Ejiofor’s defensive versatility offers a switchable big who can guard multiple positions, but his lack of bulk means the Hawks must either pair him with a more physical post presence or rely on strategic rotations. The team already has Onyeka Okongwu, and a taller, beefier center would complement Ejiofor’s skill set.

Training camp will be the first test of whether Flemings’ mid-range firepower survives NBA spacing and whether Ejiofor can develop a reliable post game against stronger competition. Atlanta must also decide by the start of the regular season whether Veesaar earns a standard contract or becomes a roster casualty. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies and Thunder’s top grades set a benchmark for other franchises, highlighting the impact of effective scouting and draft capital utilization.

The draft grades have turned the offseason into a laboratory, forcing each franchise to prove that a single pick can shift a team’s trajectory. For Atlanta, the real test lies in converting the Hawks’ highest-graded selections into on-court wins, a challenge that will define their season as much as any contract number.