UNC's Henri Veesaar Reveals Final 2026 NBA Draft Decision amid Combine Workouts

After a breakout season with UNC in 2025-26, junior center Henri Veesaar seems confident in his chances to succeed at the professional level.

Veesaar, who has participated in the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago this week, told ESPN's Jeff Borzello that he intends to remain in the 2026 draft. He added, "I don't think" there's a chance of returning to the Tar Heels.

"I'm all-in on staying in the draft," Veesaar told Borzello. "It's 100 percent my decision to stay. I think it's the right decision, basketball-wise."

A native of Estonia, Veesaar spent the first three years of his college career, which included a redshirt season, at Arizona before transferring to UNC. He started all 31 of his appearances for the Tar Heels this past season and averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting 60.8 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from three-point range. He recorded 13 double-doubles and earned second-team All-ACC honors.

Before arriving stateside, Veesaar had played for the Real Madrid youth team in Europe. He added Wednesday that he feels there's still a lot of room for him to grow on the court, and the NBA is the best place for him to hone his skills.

"Going to the NBA, it's gonna help me develop more, get better at basketball quicker, better than staying in college," he told reporters.

In his latest mock draft, B/R's Jonathan Wasserman predicted that Veesaar would be selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 28 pick.

"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," Wasserman stated.

If Veesaar can round out his game on the defensive end, he could have a bright future in the NBA as a productive center who can be a potential difference-maker for the right team.