2025-26 UNC basketball starter early second-rounder in NBA Mock Draft

While the UNC men's basketball team awaits a decision on the head coaching future of Hubert Davis , it's never too early to start looking ahead.

North Carolina's 2026-27 roster will look vastly different, but there's still plenty of unknowns. Caleb Wilson previously teased a return , but despite a season-ending injury that caused the Tar Heels to spiral, he's a projected lottery pick in June's NBA Draft.

Another NBA hopeful is UNC center Henri Veesaar , who enjoyed a career season by averaging 17 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.

In Bleacher Report's latest 2026 NBA Mock Draft , Veesaar goes early in the second round, with the Sacramento Kings selecting him 34th overall.

Henri Veesaar has become one of the draft's top play-finishers, who's also now hit 30 three-pointers," NBA Draft Insider Jonathan Wasserman wrote. "He doesn't block many shots for a 7-footer, but offensively, he has become incredibly productive and efficient with a translatable and coveted inside-out scoring package."

Veesaar turned from a sparingly-utilized bench player at Arizona, to a productive, full-time starter at North Carolina. The Tar Heels paired Veesaar, who can either slam dunks home in the post or step out and nail 3-pointers, with Wilson to form the country's top frontcourt duo.

Ideally, players want to be projected first-round guys, so there's a solid chance Veesaar returns for his senior campaign. With all the uncertainty in Chapel Hill right now, plus no guarantee that Zayden High returns, Veesaar coming back makes UNC a team to watch in the 2026-27 season.

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Henri Veesaar selected 34th overall in Bleacher Report NBA Mock Draft