The Atlanta Hawks drafted Kingston Flemings with the No. 8 pick this summer as the point guard of the future. However, adjusting to the speed and physicality of the NBA game often takes time, and rookies sometimes struggle. As a result, Atlanta wanted more depth in its guard room after the draft and traded for Devin Carter and Ryan Nembhard in two separate deals.
Both of these news guards could be cut candidates, as the Hawks have 17 players and only 15 available roster spots. They will likely compete against each other in training camp, giving Quin Snyder and Onsi Saleh the information they need to decide which player can help the team more in 2026-27.
Ryan Nembhard adds crucial half-court playmaking
Atlanta led the league with 30.1 assists per game last season. They moved the ball well in transition to get easy buckets. However, their half-court playmaking struggles got exposed in the playoffs against the New York Knicks. The Hawks were not well-equipped to handle the Knicks' aggressive, trap-heavy defense on CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in particular.
Nembhard can certainly help Atlanta with his passing. He averaged 6.6 points and 5.3 assists in just under 20 minutes per game for the Dallas Mavericks last season.
He committed only 1.4 turnovers, limiting mistakes while making fast reads to find his teammates on cuts and rolls to the rim. The 23-year-old undoubtedly displayed strong playmaking and floor general skills- areas that often take rookie point guards time to develop.
On the last day of the 2025-26 regular season, Nembhard put up a monster performance against the Chicago Bulls. He totaled 15 points, nine rebounds, and a whopping 23 assists in the Mavericks' victory, setting the rookie franchise assist record in his masterful performance. He finished one rebound shy of a triple-double, despite measuring 5 feet 11 inches and weighing 180 pounds.
Even though he plays aggressive on-ball defense, Nembhard's size poses issues against bigger teams. Opposing teams will likely try to hunt him on mismatches to create easy post-up offense. However, his playmaking boost, especially on a team that already has elite perimeter defenders, could trump his defensive limitations.
Devin Carter's offensive struggles give Nembhard an edge
Carter enters his third NBA season after spending his first two with the Sacramento Kings. They drafted him with the No. 13 pick in 2024, but he did not receive much playing time. Carter only played 36 and 38 games in his rookie and sophomore campaigns, respectively. He looks to earn a bigger role in Atlanta.
Carter put up 8.9 points, 2.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in 2025-26. He has struggled with his 3-point shot in the league, shooting 27.4% on 2.4 attempts per game for his career. His lack of playmaking and shot creation limits his half-court offensive ceiling, but Carter's calling card comes on the defensive end, particularly at the point of attack.
The 24-year-old guard measures 6 feet 2 inches with a massive 6-foot-8 wingspan. He hounds ball handlers up top and generates both on- and off-ball deflections with his anticipation and basketball IQ. This skill set makes him ideal for Atlanta's system, which relies on turning steals into easy fast-break points.
However, the Hawks already have great perimeter defenders in Dyson Daniels, Lu Dort, and Alexander-Walker. Flemings, who has a higher offensive ceiling than Carter, also projects to be a great on-ball defender. When factoring in Carter's offensive limitations, Atlanta might benefit more from Nembhard's playmaking boost than Carter's defense.
Hawks fans will want to keep an eye on both guards during preseason to see which new addition gives the team a bigger boost.
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