Henri Veesaar’s journey from college basketball standout to NBA hopeful has taken a dramatic turn, one that’s left both fans and analysts buzzing about what might have been. The former North Carolina Tar Heels center, who electrified the ACC with his versatile game, saw his NBA dreams realized—albeit later than expected—when he was selected with the 52nd overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, only to be immediately traded to the Atlanta Hawks. But behind the headline of a young star reaching the pros lies a story of big gambles, missed opportunities, and the shifting landscape of college athletics.
Veesaar’s draft slide was one of the night’s biggest surprises. Once projected as a borderline first-round pick, the 6-foot-11.25-inch Estonian found himself waiting deep into the second round before hearing his name called. The disappointment was palpable—not just for Veesaar, but for Tar Heel Nation and a host of college coaches who believed the big man could have dominated the college ranks for another season. According to Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68, one college coach remarked, “He would have made a minimum of 5.5 million this season in college.” That’s not just idle speculation; CBS Sports reported multiple schools were prepared to offer Veesaar at least $6 million via the transfer portal for the 2026-27 season, a staggering sum in the rapidly evolving world of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals.
North Carolina itself was ready to put approximately $4 million on the table to entice Veesaar to return for his senior year. Instead, the junior center, who transferred from Arizona and was rated a four-star transfer and the No. 25 overall player in the portal, chose to bet on himself. At the NBA Draft Combine, Veesaar addressed his decision candidly: “Obviously, it’s tempting. Like, there’s a lot of money being thrown around in college. It’s another year of going to school, being able to get ready for the NBA, but honestly, kind of getting thrown into the fire is the best way to learn. I had that as a freshman in college. I feel like I had the same one as going to Real Madrid when I was 15. You kind of get thrown in the practice with players that are older than you, better than you, more experienced than you. So you learn a lot quicker.”
Veesaar’s college resume was nothing short of impressive. In his lone season at North Carolina, he started all 31 games, averaging career highs of 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game. He shot a blistering 60.8% from the field and an eye-catching 42.6% from three-point range—a rare combination for a player his size. His efforts earned him second-team All-ACC honors, and he was among the five finalists for the prestigious Naismith Hall of Fame’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, given to the nation’s top center. He finished the season ranked second in the ACC and 21st nationally in field goal percentage, second in the ACC and 17th nationally in double-doubles (15), fourth in ACC rebounding, and eighth in scoring. Not bad for a player who was unranked as a recruit out of high school but steadily rose through the ranks after transferring from Arizona.
The financial implications of Veesaar's decision are hard to ignore. Only the top 10 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft are set to earn more than $6.1 million for the 2026-27 season, according to Spotrac. As a second-round pick, Veesaar’s contract with the Hawks is not guaranteed—unlike first-rounders, who receive two guaranteed years. Second-rounders must negotiate their deals after the draft, and teams often use non-guaranteed contracts to mitigate risk. That means Veesaar could end up earning far less than what was on offer in the college game, at least in the short term. “It’s looking like a brutal decision,” wrote The Sporting News, echoing the sentiments of many observers. “Veesaar has gone through the majority of the draft and not been chosen. Whether he’s a late second-rounder or an undrafted free agent, it’s costing him prestige, opportunity and cash.”
The fallout has led to pointed criticism of Veesaar’s representation. His agent, Jason Ranne of Wasserman (now called TEAM), has come under fire for advising the young center to remain in the draft despite the risks. “Wasserman (now called TEAM) agent Jason Ranne’s decision to keep Henri Veesaar in the NBA Draft is looking worse and worse every pick,” tweeted Goodman. The consensus among college coaches and analysts is that Veesaar’s agent misjudged the market, costing his client millions and a chance to refine his game under the tutelage of coaches like Michael Malone and Sean May at UNC.
Yet, all is not lost for Veesaar. The NBA Combine showcased his impressive physical tools: 6-foot-11.25 barefoot, 227 pounds, a 7-foot-2 wingspan, and a 9-foot-3 standing reach. Analysts have praised his offensive versatility, nimbleness for a seven-footer, and improving shooting touch. “Henri Veesaar brings multiple skills to the table as a center with real size, shooting the ball better each season while establishing himself as a solid rebounder,” wrote On3’s James Fletcher III. Sports Illustrated chimed in, noting, “Henri Veesaar didn’t enter the 2026 NBA Draft cycle as a potential first rounder, but won a lot of people over with a level of nimbleness at 7-foot, real offensive versatility and a competitive edge that could see some defensive worries lessened.”
There’s also a lingering question that underscores the new era of college sports: could Veesaar, in theory, return to UNC? Historically, declaring for the NBA Draft meant the end of college eligibility, but recent changes have blurred those lines. Players like James Nnaji have managed to return to the college game after being drafted, though the process is fraught with legal and logistical hurdles. For Veesaar, the door isn’t entirely closed, but it’s far from wide open—UNC would need both the scholarship space and the financial resources to make it happen, and there’s no guarantee the NCAA would approve such a move.
For now, Veesaar will look to prove himself with the Atlanta Hawks, hoping to turn the disappointment of draft night into motivation. He’ll enter training camp with a chip on his shoulder, eager to show NBA executives that his slide was a mistake. The Tar Heel faithful, meanwhile, are left to wonder what another year in Chapel Hill could have meant—for both their program and their star center. As the dust settles, one thing is clear: Henri Veesaar’s story is just beginning, and the next chapter promises to be every bit as compelling as the last.