The first night of the draft came and went, and North Carolina star center Henri Veesaar did not hear his name called. In fact, Veesaar went most of the second round as well before he was finally drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks .
Veesaar had to wait until the 52nd pick to finally hear his name called, and with that kind of wait, you have to wonder whether he made a mistake entering the NBA Draft at the time he did.
Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) shoots the ball against the VCU Rams in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Throughout the offseason, it was largely speculated that Veesaar might return to Chapel Hill, and North Carolina was reportedly willing to welcome him back with very generous NIL bids. The report was that Veesaar had an estimated $5 million waiting for him if he returned to play for Carolina in his senior season.
The surprise to some was that Veesaar ultimately decided to forgo his eligibility and remain in the 2026 NBA Draft. Initially, there were mixed opinions from fans. A case can be made for the fact that Veesaar was leaving too much on the table, and a solid season under Michael Malone could have boosted his draft stock even higher.
UNC basketball's Henri Veesaar | Rodd Baxley/The Fayetteville Observer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Still, with Veesaar mocked so regularly in the bottom of the first round, the move seemed somewhat justified in a sense, and the case to go pro became stronger. However, when things did not go as expected for Veesaar in the draft, you have to wonder what could have happened if he had decided to return to Chapel Hill for another season.
Being a lower pick than expected in the draft, knowing you left $5 million on the table, has to hurt. Veesaar has grown in his ability every year of his career, and you have to think that trend would have continued. Being a returning star, it would have been Veesaar's "team" in a sense, and he could have played himself into the lottery portion of the draft. Instead, he ended up the 52nd overall pick in a frustrating turn of events.
Regardless, the Atlanta Hawks must be happy with the steal of a pick they got in the second round. Veesaar's talent is first-round worthy, and every Tar Heel fan can testify based on what they saw last season. It's just a shame that this can become a disappointing "what if" for North Carolina.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/unc as UNC's Henri Veesaar's NBA Draft Slide Raises One Big Question .
