Kingston Flemings to start preseason debut

Flemings, the eighth-overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, will back up veteran CJ McCollum who is back on a one-year, $21 million pact following a stellar postseason performance. The 19-year-old rookie got the start in Atlanta’s pre-season lid-lifter with McCollum getting the night off. There are plenty of mouths to feed in the Hawks’ new-look backcourt, but Flemings should have the green light whenever he comes off the bench, especially since they don’t have a ton of high-volume scorers in their present nucleus. He’ll go undrafted in most redraft leagues, but he’s likely to have some moments throughout his rookie season where he shows some flashes of big-time scoring upside.

Flemings has struggled as a scorer this summer, but his impact as a defender and playmaker has been evident. That was the case in Salt Lake City, and it has carried over to Las Vegas. So far this summer, he has 22 assists, 10 stocks and just three turnovers. Atlanta has enough scoring options, so if Flemings’ scoring struggles continue during the regular season, his defense and playmaking should allow him to still make a positive impact in year one.

After struggling with his shot in his summer debut on Saturday, Flemings cleaned some things up on Monday. However, where he once again stood out was as a playmaker and defender. Flemings recorded five more assists while committing just one turnover, and his four “stocks” included three blocked shots. While he’s likely to come off the bench as a rookie, Flemings has shown early on that he may offer value in deeper redraft leagues to managers specifically seeking assists and defensive stats.

The Hawks added Flemings with the No. 8 pick in the draft, and while he struggled to score, there was a lot to like about what he did as a playmaker. One encouraging aspect about what he did as a scorer was his shot from deep, which was a question mark entering the draft. He even hit a big shot that nearly tied the game at 100 late, but his foot was in the line. Still, the assists and steals should be his bread and butter for fantasy hoops, and he only turned the ball over once.

The 6-foot-3, 183-pound Flemings was one of the best players in college basketball, earning consensus All-America honors during his lone season at Houston. In 37 games, he averaged 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 three-pointers, shooting 47.6 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from three and 84.5 percent from the foul line. Boasting the size, athleticism and instincts needed to defend his position, Flemings can also score on all three levels, but there is still room for growth on that end of the floor. He joins a perimeter rotation led by Nickeil Alexander-Walker and CJ McCollum, so Flemings will have some good players to learn from as he begins his NBA journey. Atlanta’s need for additional playmaking on the perimeter gives him a shot at achieving fantasy relevance as a rookie.

McCollum was eligible for a contract extension until June 30, and Sunday’s report means that he won’t hit free agency at the end of the month. Also, the new deal includes a trade kicker. After being acquired from the Wizards as part of the Trae Young trade, the 6-foot-3 guard averaged 18.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.3 three-pointers with the Hawks. And his play was a big reason why the Hawks were able to hand the Knicks two of their three losses on the way to New York’s first NBA title since 1973. As a starter, McCollum can offer solid value to fantasy managers, regardless of league format.

Game 6 was tough for basically every Hawks player who saw meaningful minutes. McCollum, who played 24 minutes, shot inefficiently and also failed to make an impact as a passer. After a fast start to the series, he totaled only 34 points and four assists over the final three games, which were all loses. He’ll enter the offseason as a free agent. Should the veteran return to the Hawks next season, he’ll likely have some fantasy value.

While McCollum once again led the Hawks in scoring, the Knicks did a much better job of defending him in Game 4. The veteran guard missed all four of his three-point attempts, and the Hawks were 10-of-41 as a team. And with the Knicks playing far better than they did in Game 3, this was the recipe for a 16-point New York victory. McCollum and the Hawks will look to regain home-court advantage with a win on Tuesday in New York.

McCollum came up big in the clutch for Atlanta on Thursday. Trailing by one point with under 20.0 seconds remaining, the veteran combo guard broke free on an inbounds play, possessed the ball, and calmly dribbled right into a mid-range pull-up jumper, which ended up being the go-ahead bucket. The final basket was only his second after halftime. Nonetheless, McCollum finished with at least 20 points for the third time this series. He’ll have a chance to extend his streak to four games and help Atlanta take a 3-1 series lead on Saturday.

McCollum and the Hawks appeared headed for a 0-2 deficit, but an elite fourth quarter on both ends of the floor shifted the series momentum to Atlanta. While he did miss two free throws with 5.6 seconds remaining that would have extended the Hawks’ lead to three, McCollum was outstanding throughout Game 2. Productive enough to keep the visitors within striking distance during the third quarter, McCollum was the main reason why the Hawks walked down the Knicks in the fourth. Game 3 is on Thursday in Atlanta.