The NBA Summer League is an opportunity for young players to gain some valuable professional basketball experience while proving that they are ready for the next level.
After coming off the bench in his first two summer league games, former Tar Heel Henri Veesaar made his first professional start on Tuesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. The 52nd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft didn't let the opportunity slip away, as he put together a strong performance in the Atlanta Hawks' 96-82 victory.
Henri Veesaar impresses in his first NBA Summer League start
Veesaar logged 24 minutes of action, finishing the contest with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block. The 7-footer did a little bit of everything, as evidenced by his final stat line.
From knocking down three-points (which he made a pair of) to blocking and altering shots at the rim on the defensive end of the floor, Veesaar made sure his presence was felt.
Henri skies for a dunk then knocks down a three 😎😎 pic.twitter.com/xlO0RyuRAu
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 7, 2026
Henri Veesaar's NBA rookie contract proves he actually made the right decision
In case you were unable to check out the game, you can see clips of all of Veesaar's highlights below!
Replays of Henri Veesaar highlights from the Summer League game vs. the Grizzlies pic.twitter.com/b9IWYGb1VE
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) July 8, 2026
While other players are competing for roster spots, Veesaar is a guy who essentially has his spot secured. He signed a rookie contract with the Hawks for four years and is set to earn $9.3 million during the lifetime of the contract, with the first two seasons of the contract being guaranteed. For the 52nd pick in the NBA Draft, that type of guaranteed contract is unheard of, as the structure of the deal is the same as what the 31st, 32nd, and 35th picks in last year's draft received.
Of course, Veesaar wants to impress his new team and earn himself a solidified role in the Hawks' rotation, but the main goal now is focused on his development, one that has to be near the top of Atlanta's priority list not only over the next few weeks but throughout his entire rookie season and beyond.
Every former UNC basketball player competing in the 2026 NBA Summer League
You don't make that type of investment unless you truly believe the player can turn out to be something special. The Hawks have rather heavily invested in a guy they believe can be a key piece to the franchise for many years to come, and are now using his on-court opportunities in summer league games to allow him the chance to develop his game further.
Tuesday night's victory wrapped up the first portion of NBA Summer League action for the Hawks, who are now ready to head to Las Vegas for the main event. They are slated to take on the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday afternoon at the Thomas & Mack Center, with tip-off scheduled for 4:30 PM on ESPN2.
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