Breaking Down UNC's Henri Veesaar's NBA Draft Ceiling

The NBA Draft season is in full swing, and 2026 brings in one of the most loaded draft classes we’ve seen in recent memory.

While everyone, including most Tar Heel fans, has been focused on Caleb Wilson and where he will land in the draft, center Henri Veesaar hasn’t gotten the recognition he deserves quite yet.

Where Is the Consensus?

Contrary to Wilson, Veesaar has a greater range when it comes to his probable landing spot. With Wilson, he’s been mocked anywhere from number three overall to fifth overall for the most part.

Veesaar, on the other hand, has been mocked essentially everywhere between the middle of the first round and the middle of the second round. His recent performances at the NBA Draft Combine have narrowed that variety a bit, but not significantly.

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) dunks the ball against the VCU Rams in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

When you look at most of the mock drafts online, the consensus is that Veesaar will go somewhere at the end of the first round. The most popular mock draft picks for Veesaar are the Boston Celtics at pick 27 or the Los Angeles Lakers at pick 25.

May 7, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick yells to his team during a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half during game two of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

How High Can He Go?

As for the ceiling, I believe Veesaar could realistically be picked as high as number 23 by the Atlanta Hawks, but the far more likely option is that he lands anywhere in the late twenties.

Veesaar is coming off a very solid year at North Carolina and has a lot to offer in terms of potential upside. His size and viable shooting in a draft class that has become pretty light on true centers should be enticing for some teams.

The Lakers and Celtics especially make sense, as the most obvious need for the Lakers is at the center position, where they'll need to upgrade beyond DeAndre Ayton.

May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) defends a shot by Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) during the first quarter of game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Lakers will also head into the offseason with a lot of roster uncertainty, and Veesaar could provide them with young talent to fill one of their biggest current roster holes. As for the Celtics, they always value taller perimeter players who can play alongside the team's stars.

Another thing that will help Veesaar's case is the number of centers that have decided to return to school instead of entering the NBA draft, which helps his chance at getting as high as possible into that first round.

As the draft approaches, I'm sure there will be more clarity as to which teams will target Veesaar and which teams will become a more likely landing spot for the seven-footer.

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