The Atlanta Hawks announced on Monday that former Tar Heel Henri Veesaar tore his right ACL during a workout on Sept. 15 and will miss the entire NBA season.
The 22-year-old Estonian was an all-ACC performer for Carolina last season, averaging 17 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting 42.6% from 3-point range. He declared for the draft despite having one more year of college eligibility and was generally projected to be taken late in the first round. However, he slid all the way to #52 overall, where the Los Angeles Clippers selected him before trading him to the Hawks.
It’s a tough break for a player who was a lot of fun to watch in his only season in Chapel Hill, and it further confirms he made the right decision by leaving college early. With the NCAA no longer granting medical hardship waivers, a torn ACL wiping out Veesaar’s final college season likely would have led to him going undrafted and having to fight for a two-way contract–a far cry from the four-year, $9.3 million deal he landed with the Hawks.
Veesaar is set to undergo surgery in October. Here’s hoping he recovers quickly and comes back better than ever.
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