UNC basketball’s Henri Veesaar was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 52 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday, June 24, in Brooklyn.
Caleb Wilson was selected No. 4 overall by the Chicago Bulls, but Veesaar had to wait until the second round to hear his name called at the Barclays Center. A 7-foot center from Estonia, Veesaar averaged a career-best 17 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in his lone season with the Tar Heels. He was consistently one of the top inside-out options in the nation for UNC.
VEESAAR: Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar on historic track with UNC basketball: ‘What the bejeebies?’
Here are Veesaar’s stats, his strengths and weaknesses, and what his future could look like as an NBA player.
After missing out on a first-round selection and getting well into the second round, Veesaar finally heard his name called toward the end of the draft. At some point in the process, the conversations with the teams center around two-way deals, which are restrictive contracts tied to an organization's developmental team, allowing a player to bounce between the G League and NBA. In some cases, a player is better off searching and waiting for a guarantee from one particular team, even if it means going undrafted. The right fit and right contract are more important than draft position, but if money was the ultimate goal, Veesaar missed out on a big payday by opting to leave the Tar Heels.
Caleb Wilson was selected No. 4 overall by the Chicago Bulls, but Veesaar had to wait until the second round to hear his name called at the Barclays Center. A 7-foot center from Estonia, Veesaar averaged a career-best 17 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in his lone season with the Tar Heels. He was consistently one of the top inside-out options in the nation for UNC.
VEESAAR: Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar on historic track with UNC basketball: ‘What the bejeebies?’
Here are Veesaar’s stats, his strengths and weaknesses, and what his future could look like as an NBA player.
After missing out on a first-round selection and getting well into the second round, Veesaar finally heard his name called toward the end of the draft. At some point in the process, the conversations with the teams center around two-way deals, which are restrictive contracts tied to an organization's developmental team, allowing a player to bounce between the G League and NBA. In some cases, a player is better off searching and waiting for a guarantee from one particular team, even if it means going undrafted. The right fit and right contract are more important than draft position, but if money was the ultimate goal, Veesaar missed out on a big payday by opting to leave the Tar Heels.
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