Atlanta Hawks rookie Henri Veesaar has suffered a torn right ACL and is expected to miss the entire 2026-27 season, the team announced Monday.
Veesaar sustained the injury during a workout on September 15. Following an MRI and evaluation at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex, he was diagnosed with the torn ACL and is scheduled to undergo surgery in October.
The procedure will be performed by Dr. Kyle Hammond at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex. The Hawks said Veesaar is expected to miss the 2026-27 season.
The injury is a setback for the 52nd overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, who was selected by Atlanta out of North Carolina. Veesaar had transferred to the Tar Heels after beginning his college career at Arizona.
Veesaar made significant progress during his final college season. In 31 games for North Carolina in 2025-26, he averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 31.4 minutes per game while shooting 60.8% from the field and 42.6% from three-point range.
His production represented a major increase from his 2024-25 season at Arizona, when he averaged 9.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in 35 games. He also shot 59.2% from the field that season.
Veesaar subsequently joined Atlanta for the 2026 NBA Summer League. He appeared in five games, averaging 10.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 20.4 minutes per game. He shot 46.2% from the field and 38.9% from three-point range.
The Hawks drafted Veesaar as part of an offseason focused on adding young talent around their established core. Atlanta also selected Kingston Flemings eighth overall and Zuby Ejiofor 23rd overall.
Veesaar was expected to provide additional depth in the frontcourt behind Onyeka Okongwu and Jock Landale. Okongwu averaged 15.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 74 games for Atlanta during the 2025-26 season, while Landale averaged 9.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 23 games.
Atlanta enters the 2026-27 season after finishing 46-36 in the regular season and losing to the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs.
The Hawks made several changes during the offseason, including acquiring Luguentz Dort and Ryan Nembhard in a three-team trade and adding Aaron Wiggins. They also re-signed CJ McCollum to a one-year, $21 million extension and Jock Landale to a one-year, $14.1 million deal.
Veesaar will now begin the rehabilitation process following surgery, with his return pushed to the 2027-28 season.
