Sports
New York Giants downplay Steve Tisch's presence in team's draft room
Giants GM downplays significance of Tisch in draft room
Yahoo Sports1 min read
Sports
UNC's Henri Veesaar rejects largest NIL offer to declare for 2026 NBA Draft
TL;DR
UNC's Henri Veesaar has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, rejecting a $6 million NIL offer. His decision leaves a significant gap in the Tar Heels' roster for next season.
Key points
- Henri Veesaar declared for the 2026 NBA Draft
- Rejected a $6 million NIL offer
- Projected as a mid-to-late first round pick
- Leaves a gap in UNC's roster
- Multiple schools attempted to recruit him
Henri VeesaarNorth Carolina Tar Heels
UNC's Henri Veesaar rejects largest NIL offer to declare for 2026 NBA Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Michael Malone and the North Carolina Tar Heels received bad news on Friday. Henri Veesaar declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, leaving a gap to fill in the roster for next year.
Malone worked on trying to retain the 7-foot center and help boost his draft stock for 2027. The UNC coaching staff even flew to California and made Veesaar a priority for next season. However, the big man moves on and is projected as a mid-to-late first round pick.
But the real story isn't UNC chasing down their own player. CBS Sports' Matt Norlander reported that multiple schools tried to get Veesaar into the transfer portal, offering him $6 million. That would've made him the richest player in college basketball going into next year.
"Henri Veesaar is leaving UNC and intends to stay in the NBA Draft, source told
@CBSSports. Avgd 17.0 pts, 8.7 rebs, shot ~42% from 3. Big domino on this NCAA draft declaration deadline day. Veesaar is a potential 1st-rounder but will leave a big NIL on the table as a result."
More:Former UNC coach to Michael Malone: 'Embrace history, but donât be paralyzed by it'
This would've also tripled his projected NBA rookie earnings as well. Veesaar skipping off to the NBA will leave Malone and his staff searching rapidly in the next few days. One of the best options at this point is trying out the transfer portal. Not having Veesaar will free up money available to get to the next center.
More UNC basketball news:
Q&A
Why did Henri Veesaar declare for the 2026 NBA Draft?
Henri Veesaar declared for the 2026 NBA Draft to pursue a professional basketball career, despite rejecting a lucrative NIL offer.
What was the NIL offer that Henri Veesaar rejected?
Henri Veesaar rejected a $6 million NIL offer, which would have made him the richest player in college basketball.
What impact will Veesaar's departure have on UNC's basketball team?
Veesaar's departure leaves a significant gap in UNC's roster, as he was projected to be a mid-to-late first round pick in the NBA Draft.