When Henri Veesaar ended up being the biggest faller in the 2026 NBA Draft class, everyone continued to second-guess the former Tar Heels' decision to turn pro.
With an extra year of eligibility remaining, and a potential large payday from UNC looming, Veesaar decided it was time to fulfill his lifelong dream of playing in the NBA, believing the opportunity to be a first round pick was right in front of him.
Well, it wasn't.
In fact, Veesaar wasn't selected until the 52nd pick of the draft, a major drop from the late first to early second round grade most analysts gave him. This had disaster written all over it, looking like a major miss by him and his management company.
However, all of that noise can officially be put away, as Veesaar actually made out quite well in this situation.
Believe it or not, Henri Veesaar made the right decision
On Wednesday, Veesaar agreed to his rookie contract with the Atlanta Hawks, one that is simply insane given the circumstances that played out.
Henri Veesaar has signed a four-year, $9.3 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks, per sources.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnor) July 1, 2026
Veesaar was the 52nd pick in the draft. The structure of the deal is the same as the 31st, 32nd and 35th picks in last year’s draft. pic.twitter.com/E3KV9tCnLX
Veesaar signed with the Hawks for four years and is set to earn $9.3 million during the lifetime of the contract. 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.
This goes to show you that Veesaar's management team played its cards right.
Of course, no one wants to anxiously wait for their name to be called in the draft. However, in Veesaar's case, the wait was worth it, given that not only did he land with a team that has big plans for him, but guaranteed him a contract that will ensure he's with the NBA squad this season and beyond.
The likely scenario was that Veesaar's management was turning away teams who wouldn't offer him a standard NBA contract throughout the draft process, not wanting him to settle for a two-way deal that would've earned him a lot less money.
Sure, you can make the case that he should've capitalized on the big NIL payday that UNC could've provided him with. However, there's no guarantee that he would have improved his draft value, especially given that he'd be a year older heading into a league where younger players are typically prioritized.
While the idea of playing for Michael Malone should be enticing for any big man who wants to play in the pros, it wasn't a guarantee that Veesaar would fit well in his system. Instead of playing for a third college coach in as many years, why not take that chance in the pros, knowing that these franchises have plenty of staff involved to help him with his development process?
It's definitely a debatable topic, but his guaranteed rookie deal puts an end to the narrative that the choice wasn't a good one for Henri Veesaar.
As is the case with any rookie, Veesaar will have to prove his worth at the professional level. While time will tell if the decision was a good one, Veesaar holds the pen to that narrative, one that has taken a swift turn back in the right direction now that we know he got what he was looking for all along.
Now, it's time for Veesaar to make his mark on the Atlanta Hawks organization.
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