Atlanta Hawks rookie center Henri Veesaar is expected to miss the 2026-27 season after suffering a right knee injury, the team announced on Monday.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype first reported the news.
Veesaar was diagnosed with a torn ACL following an MRI and evaluation after sustaining the injury during an on-court workout on Sept. 15. He will undergo surgery with Dr. Kyle Hammon at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex in October.
The 7-foot Estonian was the 52nd overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft after playing two years in college at Arizona and one at North Carolina. He played the 2022-23 and 2024-25 seasons with the Wildcats before finishing last season with the Tar Heels.
Veesaar was a second-team All-ACC selection, averaging 17 points, 8.7 rebounds,
2.1 assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting 42.6% from 3-point range. He was one of five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award as the top center in the country.
The 22-year-old logged eight appearances with the Hawks in summer league, averaging 8.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and one steal, shooting 37% from beyond the arc. He finished in double figures three times, including a 20-point effort on July 13.
Veesaar, who signed a four-year contract on July 2, will spend most of the upcoming season rehabbing from a devastating setback that occurred just days before the start of training camp. He and the team will be hopeful for a quick recovery ahead of the 2027-28 season.
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Hawks' Henri Veesaar to miss 2026-27 season with torn right ACL
