The Atlanta Hawks’ plans for their newest frontcourt prospect have taken a painful turn. The 22-year-old suffered a torn right ACL during an offseason workout, forcing Atlanta to prepare for an entire season without a player it specifically moved up the draft to acquire.
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It’s the Estonian baller, Henri Veesaar, who suffered a season-ending injury before he could even begin his rookie season. For him, the setback delays an NBA debut that was supposed to cap an unusual journey from Estonia to Spain, Arizona and North Carolina.
The Hawks confirmed that Veesaar sustained the injury during a workout on September 15. An MRI and further evaluation confirmed the torn ACL, with surgery scheduled for October.
As expected, he will miss the entire 2026-27 season.
The timing makes the injury particularly cruel. Veesaar had only just arrived in Atlanta after the Hawks moved from No. 57 to No. 52 in June’s NBA Draft to acquire his rights from the LA Clippers. The Clippers had originally selected him before sending 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 while shooting 42.6% from three. He earned Second-Team All-ACC honors and became the first player in ACC history to combine at least 30 blocks and 30 three-pointers while shooting 60% from the field.
Now, instead of learning the NBA game on the court, Veesaar faces a rehabilitation process that will consume his rookie year.
There is a similar story with Chet Holmgren.
The OKC Thunder rookie suffered a right foot injury in a Seattle pro-am in August 2022 and subsequently missed the entire 2022-23 season. Holmgren returned the following year and established himself as a major piece of OKC’s core, 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.
A long road to the Atlanta Hawks
The delay is another interruption in a developmental path that has already taken several turns. Born in Tallinn, Estonia, Veesaar spent three seasons in Real Madrid’s renowned youth system before moving to the US. He also became Estonia’s senior national-team player at 17, giving him professional-level experience well before his college career began.
His Arizona chapter was anything but straightforward. Veesaar played during the 2022-23 season, then missed the entire 2023-24 campaign after taking a medical redshirt. He returned to Arizona for 2024-25 before transferring to North Carolina for his breakout junior season.
That final stop changed his draft trajectory.
At UNC, the 7-foot big man developed into a dangerous floor spacer while retaining his interior scoring and passing ability. The scouting report 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 was part of the evaluation, but so was the polish that came with his unusual path.
The Hawks can also use the lost season to take a longer view of his development. Rather than rushing Veesaar into an NBA rotation, the organization now has more time to build his strength, define his defensive role, and acclimate him to Quin Snyder’s system.
By the time he is ready to return, the Hawks could have a much clearer picture. They could figure out how his skill set fits their evolving frontcourt.
Veesaar will now have to wait another year before translating that experience to the NBA. In the meantime, the Hawks can continue developing him away from the court while Onyeka Okongwu, Jock Landale, and fellow rookie Zuby Ejiofor absorb the available center minutes.
The immediate opportunity is gone. The larger opportunity is not.
For Veesaar, the next milestone is no longer his NBA debut. It is getting healthy enough to finally begin it.