Hawks Trade Up to No. 52 for 7-Footer Henri Veesaar

Q: How did an agent's bold play keep a top European prospect away from the Lakers and Knicks?

Henri Veesaar stayed away from the Lakers and Knicks because his camp tightly controlled both his draft range and contract terms, then Atlanta acted on that signal. The key move was by Veesaar’s agent, who made clear before the draft that the 22-year-old Estonian center would not accept a two-way contract and wanted a standard NBA deal. That narrowed the field and gave teams a warning: if they picked him, they needed to be prepared to commit a real roster spot and guaranteed money. At the same time, the agent steered Veesaar toward Atlanta as his preferred landing spot and away from Los Angeles. Rival teams believed the Lakers were targeting him at No. 56, and the Knicks also had interest. Sensing that, the Hawks traded cash to the Clippers to move from No. 57 to No. 52 and secure his rights before either team could act. The “bold play” was not one single public stunt but a coordinated leverage strategy: reject the two-way route, signal a preferred destination, and trust that a team would trade up to meet those terms. It worked. Atlanta jumped the Lakers, the Knicks were left out, and Veesaar landed with a team that appears more willing to give him a standard NBA opportunity. That strategy carried risk, especially after Veesaar reportedly turned down a much larger college payday to stay in the draft, but it succeeded in shaping where he ended up.

Q: Is refusing a two-way deal the new power move for NBA second-round prospects?

Not broadly. For a small group of second-round prospects with real leverage, refusing a two-way deal can be an effective tactic, but it is not the norm. Henri Veesaar is a good example of when it works. He was viewed by some evaluators as a much better prospect than his No. 52 draft slot, had multiple teams interested, and made clear before the draft that he wanted a standard NBA contract, not a two-way. That gave his agent room to steer him toward Atlanta, which traded up to secure his rights. In that case, the refusal was less a bluff than a signal that Veesaar believed he had enough market value to demand a full roster spot. The structure of the NBA draft helps explain why this can happen. Second-round picks are not locked into the rookie scale the way first-rounders are, so they can negotiate more freely. Teams often use two-way contracts for those players because they are cheaper and flexible. But agents dislike two-ways for some prospects because they limit mobility and can delay a full NBA deal. Still, this is only a “power move” if the player has credible alternatives: multiple interested teams, strong pre-draft evaluations, overseas options, or the willingness to return to another pathway. Most second-rounders do not have that leverage, and for them a two-way remains the most practical route into the league. So the trend is real at the margins, but it is a selective strategy for higher-end second-round talent, not a new standard for the class.

3 articles · Updated · Peachtree Hoops · Jun 25

Atlanta used cash and the No. 57 pick to move up five spots to No. 52, where it selected North Carolina big man Henri Veesaar in the second round.
The move targeted a clear roster need: Veesaar gives the Hawks a legitimate 7-footer who can space the floor, having shot 38% from three on 152 college attempts.
Atlanta's front office appears to have prioritized size and skill after last season's Kristaps Porzingis experiment failed to solve its frontcourt issues.
Veesaar had been projected by some as a late first-round pick, making his slide into the 50s an opportunity the Hawks chose to seize.