By R.L. Bynum
Henri Veesaar’s rookie NBA season is likely over before it started.
The Atlanta Hawks announced Monday that the former North Carolina center suffered a torn right ACL during a workout last Tuesday, an injury that will require season-ending surgery.
An MRI and evaluation at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex confirmed the diagnosis, and Veesaar will undergo surgery with Dr. Kyle Hammond there in October.
Veesaar, a 7-footer who spent one standout season at UNC after transferring from Arizona, was the No. 52 overall pick in June’s NBA draft. He was originally selected by the Los Angeles Clippers before being traded to Atlanta. Veesaar signed a four-year, roughly $9.3 million contract with the Hawks in July, according to a Hoops Rumors report on the deal’s structure, which included two guaranteed seasons.
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The injury is a significant setback for a player who arrived in the NBA off a breakout junior year. Veesaar averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks in 31.5 minutes per game for the Tar Heels, made 42.6% of his 3-point attempts, and earned a spot on the 2026 All-ACC Second Team.
He was expected to compete for minutes behind starting center Onyeka Okongwu, with a chance to see regular time with Atlanta’s G League affiliate as he developed.
The Hawks were already thin at the position. Forward/center Mouhamed Gueye has been out since fracturing his foot in July and undergoing surgery, and is expected to be reevaluated within the next month or two.
With both Gueye and now Veesaar sidelined, Atlanta’s center depth behind Okongwu and Jock Landale becomes thinner than the team anticipated heading into the season, with rookie Zuby Ejiofor and forward Asa Newell likely candidates to absorb some of the minutes that would have gone to Veesaar.
No timeline for a return was included in the team’s announcement, but a torn ACL typically sidelines players for nine to 12 months, meaning Veesaar’s NBA debut will likely wait until the 2027–28 season.
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Photo via @UNC_Basketball
