Hawks Suffer Major Blow as 22-Year-Old Center Tears ACL Ahead of First NBA Season

NBA training camp is just around the corner, and the Atlanta Hawks have hit an early hurdle ahead of the 2026-27 season. Henri Veesaar, the 52nd overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, got injured during a team workout, reportedly resulting in a season-ending injury.

According to NBA insider Michael Scotto, Veesaar suffered a torn right ACL. Given the nature of ACL injuries, the 22-year-old center is expected to miss his rookie season.

"Atlanta Hawks rookie center Henri Veesaar suffered a torn right ACL," Scotto wrote on X on Monday. "Veesaar will undergo surgery and is expected to miss the 2026-27 season."

Per The Rookie Wire, Veesaar's surgery with Dr. Kyle Hammon at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex is scheduled for October this year. If everything turns out okay, he's more than likely to make his debut in the 2027-28 season. However, we don't know what his career or the Hawks' roster will look like by then.

Given how Veesaar was drafted late in the second round, his value as a player isn't as high. He played three years of college basketball for Arizona and North Carolina and averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in the 31 games he started for the Tar Heels in his final year.

The likelihood of the Hawks waiving him is low. Veesaar has a fully guaranteed four-year contract worth $9.3 million, and waiving the Estonian won't necessarily financially benefit the Hawks.

NBA Insider Looking Forward to New Hawks Look

The Atlanta Hawks are coming into the 2026-27 season with nearly an entirely different look. Atlanta brought in two NBA champions from the OKC Thunder, while securing a couple of first-round picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, and Mouhamed Gueye remain as the Hawks' top core players. However, NBA insider Brett Siegel is more interested in the upgrades that the Hawks have made.

Former Thunder defensive wing Lu Dort, a 2024-25 All-Defensive First Team selection, will be adding more defensive depth to the Hawks roster. Meanwhile, Aaron Wiggins is expected to bring all-around performances as one of the bench's key role players.

While the Hawks also secured the eighth pick of the draft in Kingston Flemings, Siegel also sees the value in the 23rd pick, Zuby Ejiofor.

"Lu Dort is a clear upgrade over Risacher," Siegel wrote for Clutchpoints. "Aaron Wiggins is a clear upgrade over Kuminga. Ejiofor is a clear upgrade over Tony Bradley. The Atlanta Hawks got better overall this offseason; they are a much deeper team, and they have possibly eight players who can all score in double figures on any given night."

Last season, the Hawks secured the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. While they were immediately eliminated by the New York Knicks in the first round, it was still an impressive feat, especially after the team got rid of their star player, Trae Young.

If Siegel's assessment about the new guys being a huge upgrade is true, the Hawks might be a solid threat in the championship this season.