Three Veteran Targets For Atlanta's Center Rotation Following Henri Veesaar's Injury

With the recent news that Atlanta's 2026 second-round pick has torn his ACL, what options do the Hawks have to supplement their depth?

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

While they likely weren't relying on him for a major role this season, the loss of Henri Veesaar could be bigger for the Atlanta Hawks than it would seem.

They've already got a very good starter in Onyeka Okongwu and a solid backup in Jock Landale. Zuby Ejiofor can also step into the role at times, but he's unproven in that role. They could also try lineups with Asa Newell at center, but he doesn't really have the strength to thrive in that spot and he's still just 20 years old.

If the recent rumors of the Hawks trading for Dorian Finney-Smith result in a move, that could be another option to factor into the rotation. DFS has played as a small-ball center in his career and it would be a good emergency option for the Hawks.

Even so, there are some good veteran options that Atlanta should kick the tires on. Backup center was a huge position of weakness for the 2025-26 Hawks and it arguably sunk their chances of ever pushing the Knicks further. New York clearly had a talent advantage, but the heavy amount of minutes that Okongwu had to take on caught up to him at times.

Here are three interesting candidates.

Kevin Love

Nov 13, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Kevin Love (42) reacts to a turnover by the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Love's far more likely to join a true contender at the midseason mark, but there's still a chance he'd have interest in coming to Atlanta if the Hawks could offer him a bigger role. Even at his age, Love still shot 37.3% from deep on 3.8 attempts and averaged a respectable 4.3 defensive rebounds a game. He took on a very important mentor role for the Jazz and the Hawks could use someone with his experience.

Furthermore, Love also has the versatility to stand in at PF for a few games and that adds to the depth behind Jalen Johnson. He's a smart passer as well, dishing out 2.3 rim assists last season (85th percentile). I believe he'd be the best veteran option for Atlanta to add at this stage - even if the odds are stacked against the possibility of him agreeing to sign with the Hawks.

Kelly Olynyk

Nov 20, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Kelly Olynyk (8) drives to the basket against Atlanta Hawks Zaccharie Risacher (10) during the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even though he was in his age-35 season, Olynyk showed that he can fill a role for a team in need of center help and stayed with the Spurs throughout their run to the Finals. He can protect the rim in spurts and brings in a career mark of 36.9% from deep on three attempts a game. The 25.5% he shot from deep was a career-worst mark and there's a good chance he rebounds if he's signed.

Atlanta needs rebounding and Olynyk doesn't necessarily help that problem. His rebound numbers took a precipitous drop from 5.9 rebounds a game in 2024-25 to 1.8 rebounds in 2025-26. He's a decent passer, but signing Olynyk is an indication that the Hawks are prioritizing his offense as an additive factor in a limited role.

Like Love, h's got tons of postseason experience to draw from and he'd likely be a good mentor for the younger frontcourt players on the team.

Mason Plumlee

Nov 23, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Mason Plumlee (22) wrestles the ball away from Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye (18) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Plumlee also played for the Spurs after he was released from the Hornets last season. He provided a solid veteran presence for San Antonio, but didn't make much of an impact during his time there. He's much more limited as a shooter than either Love or Olynyk, but the veteran big man has shown an ability to eat minutes in the regular season to keep players fresh. He's a decent defender even at this age, averaging 2.8 steals per 100 possessions. However, he's lost quite a bit of mobility and he mostly relies on his basketball IQ to contribute.

He's probably the most limited of the options Atlanta could sign and I would prefer that they went in a different direction. However, he could certainly be a temporary fill-in at the start of the season and then released after the Hawks get deeper into the regular season. Mo Gueye's injury does further complicate their depth and Plumlee would be insurance against that.