Former North Carolina Tar Heels' center Henri Veesaar opted to leave after one year with the program, taking his talents to the NBA. After not being taken in the first round, Veesaar was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the draft.
He played in the Summer League with Atlanta and was hoping to play a big role as a rookie. With training camp open, there was some bad news on Veesaar going into the season.
The Hawks announced on Monday that Veesaar suffered a torn ACL and is expected to miss the entire regular season. It's a tough blow for the rookie who was looking to make that impact for his new team.
An @emoryhealthcare injury update: During a workout on Sept. 15, Henri Veesaar sustained a right knee injury. Following an MRI and
evaluation at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex, he was diagnosed with a torn right ACL. Veesaar will undergo surgery with Dr. Kyle Hammond at the… pic.twitter.com/fxVePjEiNF
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) September 21, 2026
Veesaar reportedly suffered a knee injury during a workout last week.
The No. 52 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft was coming off a big season at North Carolina. He appeared in 31 games, starting all of them and averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 60.8 percent from the field. His play earned him All-ACC honors at the end of the season.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Former UNC basketball standout to miss entire NBA season
