Henri Veesaar, the 6‑foot‑10 forward who spent the last season at the University of North Carolina, heard his name called in the second round of the NBA draft on Thursday night. The Atlanta Hawks selected him with the 52nd overall pick, capping a whirlwind journey that took him from a redshirt year at Arizona to a breakout campaign in Chapel Hill.
During his lone year with the Tar Heels, Veesaar averaged 17.0 points and 8.7 rebounds, earning second‑team All‑ACC honors and posting 15 double‑digit performances that ranked among the conference’s best. His path to the draft was not linear; after a promising start at Arizona, where he posted 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, a redshirt season followed due to injury before he transferred to UNC.
A New Chapter for Veesaar
In a brief statement posted on social media, Veesaar thanked North Carolina for the memories and lessons he gathered, while also acknowledging the excitement of taking the next step professionally. The draft also marks the departure of both starting frontcourt players from UNC, who are now headed to the NBA, signaling a new era for the program.
Veesaar’s selection underscores the growing pipeline of talent moving from college to the NBA, and his versatile skill set promises to add depth to the Hawks’ frontcourt. As he prepares for his first professional season, the former Tar Heel looks forward to translating his collegiate success into the next chapter of his basketball career.