Second Estonian Selected in NBA Draft: Henri Veesaar

Another Estonian basketball player has entered the NBA draft history books. The Atlanta Hawks selected 7-foot center Henri Veesaar with the 52nd pick in the second round, after acquiring the pick from the Los Angeles Clippers via trade.

The first Estonian to be drafted was Martin Müürsepp, chosen 25th overall by the Utah Jazz in 1996. Müürsepp later played 83 NBA games for the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat, averaging 4.7 points per game.

Henri Drell, who played four games for the Chicago Bulls during the 2023/24 season, became the second Estonian in the NBA but was not a draft pick.

Veesaar began his NCAA career at Arizona in 2022 before transferring to the University of North Carolina for his final season. Over 31 games (all starts), he averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game.

Despite pre-draft projections as a potential first-round pick, Veesaar slipped to the late second round. The Hawks moved up via trade with the Clippers to secure the Estonian big man.