Henri Veesaar’s first NBA season is over before it began.
The Atlanta Hawks announced Monday that the rookie center tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a Sept. 15 workout. He is scheduled to undergo surgery next month and is expected to miss the entire 2026-27 season.
The injury ends Atlanta’s chance to evaluate one of its more intriguing young players in games this season. It also takes away a frontcourt option weeks after forward and center Mouhamed Gueye underwent foot surgery.
Veesaar, a 7-foot center from Estonia, broke through at North Carolina last season after playing a smaller role at Arizona. He averaged 17 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 blocks in 31 games. He made 42.6% of his 3-point attempts, giving NBA teams reason to consider how his size and shooting might fit together.
The Hawks moved up from No. 57 to select him with the 52nd pick in June’s draft. They then signed him to a four-year, $9.26 million contract, with the first two seasons guaranteed.
For Veesaar, the immediate work now is rehabilitation. The practices and games that would have introduced him to the NBA will have to wait.
Hawks’ Frontcourt Options Grow Thinner
Onyeka Okongwu and Jock Landale enter the season as Atlanta’s clear first two options at center. Veesaar was a developmental player behind them, so his absence does not leave the Hawks without an established center rotation.
It does reduce their cover if another big man is unavailable.
Gueye fractured his left foot in a July workout and underwent surgery. The Hawks said he would be reevaluated in three to four months, leaving his early-season availability uncertain. Veesaar’s injury removes another player who could have supplied size while Gueye recovers.
Atlanta also faces a roster squeeze. The Hawks have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, while Gueye is on a non-guaranteed deal. Any move to add depth would have to account for those numbers.
Dorian Finney-Smith Trade Talks Offer Another Possibility
The Hawks have held intermittent trade discussions with the Charlotte Hornets involving Buddy Hield and Dorian Finney-Smith, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported in The Stein Line. No deal has been reported, and there is no indication Veesaar’s injury has changed those talks.
If Atlanta acquired Finney-Smith, the veteran forward could offer some minutes as a small-ball center. His ability to defend bigger opponents would give the Hawks a different look behind Okongwu and Landale, though he would not replace Veesaar’s 7-foot frame.
Finney-Smith’s health would matter, too. An ankle injury and a slow recovery from surgery disrupted his 2025-26 season, limiting him to 37 games. With Gueye already recovering, Atlanta would need to know what Finney-Smith can provide before treating him as an answer to its depth problem.
Okongwu and Landale remain in place. Behind them, the Hawks have lost Veesaar for the season and are waiting on Gueye. That leaves Atlanta with a frontcourt decision to make before opening night, and its rookie with a far longer wait for his debut.
Hawks Announce Brutal Injury News Amid Reported Trade Talks