2026 NBA Draft’s Top Slider to Miss Rookie Season

For much of the 2026 draft cycle, then-North Carolina center Henri Veesaar was projected as a top-40 pick by many, if not a bonafide first-rounder.

After three lower impact seasons at Arizona, Veesaar transferred to Chapel Hill for his senior season, and promptly broke out as one of the top-producing bigs in the country. He averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, putting himself on first-round radars in the process.

Veesaar failed to hear his name on draft night, however, seemingly slipping to the early second round. As Day 2 kicked off, he inexplicably continued to slide all the way to No. 52, before the Hawks finally stopped his slide. His Summer League performances were up and down, though the vision was there in flashes for his future with the Hawks.

Veesaar landed in a fine enough spot to continue to work on his game — which includes interior finishing, perimeter shooting and solid big passing — though he took another hit on Tuesday. The Hawks’ rookie tore his right ACL, and is expected to miss the entirety of the 2026-27 season.

Veesaar reportedly suffered the injury in a workout on Sept. 15, and will undergo surgery in October.

The cumulation of Veesaar’s slide and season-ending injury now makes for a rough start to his career. Though there’s still reason for optimism for his Hawks’ future.

Atlanta needs as much talent as possible moving forward into another competitive season, though for the time being it should have plenty of frontcourt backup. The team will continue to roll with Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson as big bodies in the starting lineup, and has first-round big selectees in Asa Newell and rookie Zuby Ejiofor in reserve.

After slowly ramping up at the college level, Veesaar was sure to need at least a few developemental seasons at the NBA level, meaning his injury is a big hit. Though there's some reason for optimisim regarding his eventual return.

Veesaar won't be the first player to miss their debut season. Years ago, No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren missed his first season in OKC due to a Lisfranc injury suffered in an offseason workout, and he was able to bounce back for what's been a mightily productive career so far with the Thunder.

Veesaar doesn't presently own as much pure talent as Holmgren, but does have a similarly slender 7-foot frame, and should be able to impact the game with size alone, not to mention skill.

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