The player the Atlanta Hawks specifically traded up in the draft for is now expected to miss the season. With training camp only a week away, head coach Quin Snyder will need to rethink his big-man strategy again. This also isn’t ideal news for the rookie, who’d become only the third Estonian player to play in the NBA.
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Henri Veesaar tore his right ACL during an offseason workout, according to NBA insider Michael Scotto. Yahoo! Sports reports the injury occurred on September 15. Veesaar will undergo surgery in October. But the injury has severely hampered the team’s hopes of him securing a spot behind starting center Onyeka Okongwu.
Veesaar had only just arrived in Atlanta after the Hawks moved from No. 57 to No. 52 in the draft to acquire his rights from the Los Angeles Clippers. LA had originally selected him before trading him to the Hawks for cash considerations.
Atlanta had reason to be interested…
In North Carolina, Veesaar emerged as one of the most intriguing big men in college basketball. He averaged 17.0 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.1 apg, and 1.2 bpg in 31 games, shooting 42.6 percent from three. He earned Second-Team All-ACC honors and became the first player in ACC history to record at least 30 blocks and 30 three-pointers while shooting 60 percent from the field.
Veesaar, a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award finalist, was actually expected to be selected much higher in the NBA draft, either late in the first round or early in the second. But his agency reportedly informed interested teams that Veesaar wouldn’t be open to signing a two-way contract.
Atlanta agreed to the player’s conditions, and Veesaar inked a four-year, $9.26 million contract in July, with the first two seasons guaranteed, the third not, and the fourth a team option. He then played eight games in the Summer League, breaching double figures three times, averaging 8.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and one steal while shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc.
The ACL setback delays a debut that was supposed to cap an unusual journey from Estonia to Spain, Arizona and North Carolina. Before his college days, Veesaar played in Real Madrid’s youth system. When he was drafted earlier this year, he was one step closer to joining an exclusive group of only two Estonians, Henri Drell and Martin Muursepp, who have played in the NBA. With the surgery scheduled, Atlanta has yet to commit to a specific recovery timeline for Veesaar.
But this isn’t the first time a heartbreaking setback like this one has occurred. Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren has a similar story.
The OKC rookie sustained a right-foot Lisfranc injury at a Seattle pro-am in August 2022 and subsequently missed the entire 2022-23 season. But Holmgren returned the following year and became a core piece for OKC, showing that an injury-induced lost rookie season doesn’t have to define a young player’s career.
Veesaar now faces a similar wait, even if the injuries are completely different. Born in Tallinn, Estonia, Veesaar spent three seasons in Real Madrid’s renowned youth system before moving to the US. He also became an Estonia national team player at just 17, giving him pro-level experience well before his NCAA days.
The youngster’s Arizona chapter was anything but straightforward. Veesaar played in the 2022-23 season, then took a medical redshirt and missed the entire 2023-24 campaign after dislocating his elbow. He returned to Arizona for 2024-25 before transferring to North Carolina for his breakout junior season.
That final stop changed his draft trajectory. Here’s how.
At UNC, the 7-foot big man became a dangerous floor spacer while keeping his interior scoring and passing ability. Scouting reports highlighted his improved three-point shooting, short-roll passing, and ability to find cutters, explaining why the Hawks saw more than a typical second-round prospect. His age factored into the evaluation, but so did the polish that came with his unusual career path.
After hearing his name called in the second round, Veesaar revealed that he was grateful and felt that “all the blood, sweat, and tears paid off finally.”
“Just being able to be at a program that prioritizes player development is huge,” Veesaar said. “Seeing that you always have a lot of steps to take in your career, and having the support staff they have, is incredible.”
The Hawks can also use the lost season to better assess the situation. Rather than rushing Veesaar into rotation, the organization now has more time to define his defensive role and acclimate him to Quin Snyder’s system. In the meantime, they can keep developing him off the court while Onyeka Okongwu, Jock Landale, and fellow rookie Zuby Ejiofor absorb the available center minutes.
Atlanta has a slight disadvantage from an injury standpoint, though. In July, Mouhamed Gueye fractured his foot and soon underwent surgery, with reevaluation scheduled in two months.
The Hawks are also pursuing a trade to bring in Dorian Finney-Smith and send Buddy Hield to the Charlotte Hornets, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line. The insider reports that the talks have been happening “on and off” this summer.
Earlier this month, the Hawks waived Devin Carter to bring down the head count to 16. But they still have to shed one more player before the season begins. It’ll be harsh, but Gueye and Veesaar are two candidates Atlanta could consider letting go because they cannot contribute immediately on the court.