A major basketball decision hit the UNC men's basketball program on Friday, with center Henri Veesaar officially declaring for the NBA Draft.
Veesaar broke out during his first season as a full-time starter in 2025-26, averaging career-bests of 17.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 blocks per game, plus a 60.8 percent mark on field goals and 42.6% on 3-pointers. Combining with Caleb Wilson to form the country's best frontcourt, Veesaar struck fear into any opponent that faced the Tar Heels.
With Veesaar's decision, North Carolina now has another massive decision to make: finding a starting center for its 2026-27 roster.
Currently, UNC's leading option is Florida Atlantic transfer Maxim Logue, who unexpectedly committed on Tuesday. A 6'9" forward who averaged just 11.2 minutes across 49 games between the Owls and Oregon State, Logue finally gets his chance as a starter in Chapel Hill.
Logue averaged career-highs of 4.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game last season. His best asset is offensive rebounding, a foundation of North Carolina basketball, with 1.9 boards per contest.
Neoklis Avdalas, the Tar Heels' first portal commitment, is a 6'9" guard from Virginia Tech. Avdalas thrived with 12.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game across 31 starts for the Hokies. His next challenge? Possibly learning a new position.
Veesaar's decision also opens the door for James Brown and Ivan Matlekovic's transfer portal withdrawals. Brown, a 6'10" center who played nine games a season ago, entered Chapel Hill as part of a star-studded 2024 recruiting class with Drake Powell and Ian Jackson. Matlekovic, a 7-foot big man like Veesaar, transferred in from High Point during the 2025 offseason.
Brown played 18 games during his freshman campaign in 2024-25, but only nine a season ago. Brown's best appearance came during the Tar Heels' 89-74 win over Radford on November 11, setting season-bests of eight minutes, four points and three rebounds (later tied).
Matlekovic played just six minutes all year, scoring two points in UNC's 99-51 drubbing of East Carolina to close non-conference play. The Croatian center is more of a project, but there's no denying North Carolina can utilize his size this fall.
The Tar Heels can also still land a top center in the portal, which may be their best option. Regardless of what UNC does, frontcourt reinforcements are a major priority for the second-consecutive offseason.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: How Henri Veesaar in NBA Draft impacts 2026-27 roster