Not long ago, Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic declared for the 2026 NBA Draft. Then, after testing the draft waters, he decided to withdraw his name from the board, opting to stick around for another season with the Fighting Illini and head coach Brad Underwood.
The decision relieved Illinois fans, ensuring the return of one of their favorite players on Underwood's roster. However, as the NBA Draft progressed, it was Stojakovic who was breathing a sigh of relief.
While the expected stars like BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Kansas's Darryn Peterson, and Illinois's Keaton Wagler (I had to) heard their names called during the first night, a few projected first-round selections watched as the 30 picks came and went.
That includes North Carolina center Henri Veesaar, who bet on himself this offseason, choosing to keep his name in the Draft instead of returning to UNC for another season. That was despite the fact that he was projected as a late first-round or early second-round pick, much like Stojakovic.
Andrej Stojakovic avoided NBA Draft plummet Henri Veesaar has gone through
Yet, the first round came to an end, and Veesaar had yet to hear his name. Then, the second round progressed, and still, the Tar Heels' starting center continued to fall, which was something that none of us saw coming. A disaster that Stojakovic, whether it be due to his own volition or because someone wisely counseled him, was smart enough to avoid. Eventually, Veesaar was selected by the Hawks at No. 52 overall.
Now, this isn't to say that Stojakovic would have been in the exact same boat as Veesaar. For starters, the two players are four inches and about 20 pounds apart when it comes to their physical makeups. Not to mention the fact that they play entirely different positions.
So, different NBA franchises likely would have looked to draft them. However, they were receiving similar projections in mock drafts as the actual thing flew into focus.
Before the second round even tipped off, rumors were circulating that he had passed up on somewhere around $5.5 million to head to the draft.
One college coach to me on Veesaar:
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) June 24, 2026
“He would have made a minimum of 5.5 million this season in college.” https://t.co/tkAlZ5KD85
That $5.5 million was the projection for what Veesaar could have made if he had stuck around for another season at UNC. Instead, at best, as a late second-round pick, his rookie contract would most likely be a minimum deal, worth somewhere around the $1.27 million mark.
Meanwhile, Stojakovic had his NIL valuation skyrocket to the $1.5 million ballpark ahead of his senior season with the Fighting Illini, a number that could increase as the season progresses (especially with another run to the Final Four). There was no denying that Stojakovic made the safer bet, but as the NBA Draft continued to unfold, it became readily apparent that it was the better bet, as well.
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