June 27, 2026, 3:59 p.m. ET
Former North Carolina center Henri Veesaar had to wait a while to hear his name called in the 2026 NBA Draft.
After many experts projected him to go late in the first round, Veesaar ended up going No. 52 overall to the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks took Veesaar to bolster their frontcourt depth. Atlanta finished 46-36 last season, earning the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference before losing in six games to the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in the first round.
The Hawks return star swingman Jalen Johnson, veteran combo guard C.J. McCollum, reliable shooting guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, lockdown wing defender Dyson Daniels, and solid center Onyeka Okongwu. But they remain thin and lack size up front, a concern that already led them to draft Zuby Ejiofor in the first round.
That pick drew some criticism, not because of Ejiofor’s ability but because he is another undersized big at 6-foot-9.
That’s where Veesaar comes in.
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Veesaar, at 6-foot-11 and 227 pounds, offers a different profile. He adds size to the interior, brings strong rebounding, and stretches the floor as a dangerous scorer at all three levels. He is a skilled big who can play in space, a trait the Hawks highly value.
After transferring from Arizona to North Carolina, Veesaar delivered his best college season, averaging 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, with shooting splits of 62% from the field and 43% from 3-point range on three attempts per game.
One reason Veesaar may have fallen is his limited defensive impact. He lacks the quickness and lateral movement teams want in a modern rim protector, can struggle in space, and will likely be targeted at the next level. To become a viable NBA big—even in a backup role—he will need to make significant strides on the defensive end.
Conclsion
Veesaar’s offensive versatility and size give the Hawks a different look in the frontcourt. His touch around the rim, efficiency as a scorer and ability to stretch the floor from 3-point range should immediately help an Atlanta team that has lacked size and skill up front despite a solid core of perimeter talent.
The question now is whether Veesaar can defend well enough to stay on the floor. If he can improve his quickness, positioning and impact as a rim protector, he has a path to becoming a valuable rotation big on a playoff team. If not, his role may be limited. For the Hawks, though, the upside at No. 52 is clear: a high-level offensive big whose development on the defensive end will determine just how good this pick looks in a few years.
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