Sure, Caleb Wilson went No. 4 to the Bulls as the new Michael Jordan. But the Tar Heels’ next best player got screwed along with the team.
If anybody truly knows what happened to Henri Veesaar, call me. The predicted number one value in the second round of the NBA Draft fell down the elevator shaft all the way to No. 52, with Atlanta after trading with the Clippers for Veesaar.
The esteemed Jay Bilas looked as uncomfortable as he was playing for last place Duke in 1983 after calling Veesaar a top pick in the second round in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. So, what happened, big guy?
Everybody from Mike Malone to Jim Tanner have egg on their faces even though they likely had very little to do with it. Blame it on agent Jason Ranne or anyone else who seems to get involved in these players’ young lives when critical decisions are being made.
Wherever Henri wound up as the 52nd pick, he likely left $3 or 4 or 5 million on the table had he stuck with the Tar Heels for one more year. Granted, Veesaar wasn’t crazy about going to school for another year. But all he had to do was register for one semester and then cut class for the rest of the season.
Whether it was Ranne, Tanner or Malone, someone could not guarantee Veesaar at least a one year no-cut contract that would’ve paid him at least as much money as Carolina could to retain their All-ACC center. Now, his chances are as good for winding up back in Estonia as with a multi-year NBA deal.
He deserves more than that after transferring from Arizona and finishing in the top five for the 2025-26 Naismith Hall of Fame’s Kareem Adbul-Jabbar award as the top center in the country. He earned second-team All-ACC honors, the eighth-leading vote-getter. Veesaar averaged 17 points a game and 8.7 rebounds. He finished 17th in the country with 15 double-doubles, fourth in the ACC in rebounding and eighth in scoring.
Somehow, some way no NBA team could do better than a two-way contract that would leave Henri splitting time with the G-League until Atlanta agreed to a full ride at No. 52. Still, Veesaar does not stand to earn more than $1.5 million in his rookie year and will be under pressure to play well enough to get another contract.
As for the Tar Heels, they lose perhaps the best center in the ACC and will rely on unknown and unproven big men. Blame it on the muddled way the NBA Draft does business.
Featured image via Associated Press/Brynn Anderson
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs on 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro during football and basketball seasons.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
