Atlanta Hawks rookie Henri Veesaar suffered a torn ACL last week during a workout, according to the team.
The Atlanta Hawks are likely going to be without a member of their incoming rookie class for the entire 2026-27 season.
On Monday, the team announced in a press release that rookie center Henri Veesaar suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during a Sept. 15 workout and will undergo surgery next month. He is expected to miss the whole season.
The news is a tough blow for a Hawks team that was already thin at center. While Veesaar, the No. 52 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, wasn't necessarily in line to play a ton of minutes, his injury gives the team one less depth option at the position.
The second-round pick elevated his draft stock with a very strong 2025-26 season at North Carolina. Prior to that, he had been playing at Arizona, where he functioned primarily as a bench player. He did miss an entire season with Arizona due to an injury, so he's unfortunately been through this type of setback before.
With UNC, he made 31 starts in 31 appearances, and the results were fantastic. He averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 60.8 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from beyond the arc. He took home All-ACC honors at the end of the season.
After being drafted, he had some big games in Summer League play, including a 20-point showing. In eight total appearances in Summer League, he averaged 8.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest.
Veesaar was considered a potential first-round pick going into the draft before sliding to the second day. The 7-footer has a lot of potential and could eventually become a rotation piece for Atlanta, but his development is going to be on pause while he recovers from his ACL injury.
Earlier this offseason, ESPN tabbed Hawks big man Onyeka Okongwu as the team's biggest X factor due to a lack of depth options at center. While Atlanta does also have returning center Jock Landale behind Okongwu, the loss of Veesaar isn't going to help matters, especially if there's another injury at the position.
Hopefully, Veesaar will have a quick and smooth recovery, with his rookie season now likely set for the 2027-28 campaign. At the very least, he will have the benefit of being around the team and getting acclimated to life at the NBA level before he makes his debut down the line.
