University of North Carolina Athletics
Henri Veesaar
Photo by: Grant Halverson
Veesaar Goes In NBA Draft Second Round, Traded To Atlanta
June 24, 2026 | Men's Basketball
The Los Angeles Clippers selected Tar Heel junior Henri Veesaar with the 22nd pick of the second round (52nd overall) of the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday night. The Clippers later traded him to the Atlanta Hawks.
Veesaar was one of five finalists for the 2025-26 Naismith Hall of Fame's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award as the top center in the country. He earned second-team All-ACC accolades and was the eighth-leading vote-getter for All-ACC honors.
He averaged 17.0 points and 8.7 rebounds, both career highs, last season. Veesaar ranked second in the ACC and 21st in the country in field goal shooting (60.8%) and second in the ACC and 17th nationally in double-doubles (15) while finishing fourth in the ACC in rebounding and eighth in scoring.
Carolina and the NBA Draft
• In total, 121 Tar Heels and four former UNC players have been selected in the NBA Draft.
• Carolina has the third-most drafted players and third-most first-round picks in the history of the NBA Draft.
Veesaar was one of five finalists for the 2025-26 Naismith Hall of Fame's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award as the top center in the country. He earned second-team All-ACC accolades and was the eighth-leading vote-getter for All-ACC honors.
He averaged 17.0 points and 8.7 rebounds, both career highs, last season. Veesaar ranked second in the ACC and 21st in the country in field goal shooting (60.8%) and second in the ACC and 17th nationally in double-doubles (15) while finishing fourth in the ACC in rebounding and eighth in scoring.
Carolina and the NBA Draft
• In total, 121 Tar Heels and four former UNC players have been selected in the NBA Draft.
• Carolina has the third-most drafted players and third-most first-round picks in the history of the NBA Draft.
Henri to the @ATLHawks via Clippers 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/xz8eQLJzSo
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) June 25, 2026
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