The Atlanta Hawks have acquired the draft rights to the North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar, the 52nd-overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, from the LA Clippers, in exchange for the 57th-overall pick, plus some cash considerations.
Hawks Excel at the 2026 Draft
The Hawks have received lots of praise for the way they went about the 2026 NBA Draft. The first day of the draft saw them land Kingston Fleming and Zuby Ejiofor, with many not even sure about another rookie coming in on the second day.
As the think tanks were exploring all of their options for the second day, when their pick window came forth, there was only one choice to make. When the Hawks were picking at No. 23, one of the potential first-round picks in the mix was Henri Veesaar, who was coming off an excellent junior season at North Carolina.
The Unexpected Fall
Veesaar, who was one of the best centers at the point in the draft, would have been a default pick for Atlanta at No. 23. However, the Hawks chose to go with the St. John’s Red Storm’s Power Forward Zuby Ejiofor, and Veesaar found himself slipping out of the first round altogether.
Even after going unselected in the first round, he was largely expected to be one of the first names called once the second round began. But he did have to endure a few nail-biting picks more, as his unexpected tumble down the draft continued.
At one point, Veesaar must have thought his critics were right, as he had received a lot of flak about his decision to leave college for the NBA after forgoing a reported $5 million NIL offer to stay in college.
His fall finally ended at No. 52, however, only after becoming the biggest faller of the draft. He was picked up by the Hawks at No. 52 after they traded up from No. 57 with the Los Angeles Clippers, parting with some cash considerations as well. With this, Veesaar becomes the third draft pick for the Atlanta Hawks in the 2026 NBA Draft, where he joins the above-mentioned Ejiorfor and Houston Cougars Point Guard Kingston Flemings.
The Henri Veesaar Profile
The 22-year-old from Estonia stands at 6’11, 227 LBS, and gives the Hawks size on the inside, with strong rebounding, and the ability to stretch the floor as a big man.
After transferring to North Carolina from Arizona, Veesaar proceeded to have the best season of his college career. He started 31 games for the North Carolina Tar Heels and averaged 17.0 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 2.1 APG while shooting 62% from the floor and 43% from three.
He was a member of the 2025-26 All-ACC Second Team and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award finalist. Veesaar ranked eighth in the ACC in scoring, fourth in rebounding, and second in field goal percentage.
A Slight Blind Spot to Fix
Veesaar will be an able foil along with Ejiofor, who is an undersized big with plenty of defensive potential. Veesaar will have to learn a few tricks from his new teammate, as one big concern about his game is his defense.
If there is a single reason to point out why Veesaar slipped this far down the draft, then it would be his defensive play. He lacks the atheliscism and lateral movement as a rim protector, does not operate well in space, and even with an incredible frame, may struggle to make an impact.
He would need to step up his defensive game to become a useful big man in the NBA, even as a backup. While his offensive skillset is a huge plus for him to succeed as an understudy for the time being to Onyeka Okongwu, the Hawks’ current starting center.
