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The deadline to withdraw from the 2026 NBA Draft and remain eligible to play college basketball passed on May 27 with Tennessee basketball star Nate Ament sticking with his decison to turn professional.
Ament initially declared for the draft on April 23. While returning to Tennessee for another year of development and a shot at reaching the program's first Final Four was enticing, the NBA was always the goal for the former five-star high school prospect and projected lottery pick.
Ament is expected to be Tennessee's first lottery pick since Marcus Haislip went No. 13 overall in the 2002 draft to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Vols' last first-round pick was Dalton Knecht, who went No. 17 to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2024.
Ament's stock has held firm around the mid-to-late lottery range throughout the season. He measured at 6-foot-10, 211-pounds at the NBA draft combine with a 6-foot, 11.5-inch wingspan.
The All-SEC freshman forward averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists for the Vols. He shot 39.9% from the field and 33.3% from 3-point range during Tennessee's run to its third consecutive Elite Eight appearance.
The NBA determined the order of the top 14 picks in the draft after the lottery on May 10.
Ament's most popular fit is at No. 10 to the Bucks according to CBS Sports, The Ringer and ESPN.
USA TODAY's Bryan Kalbrosky differs on Ament's projection. He has him going outside of the lottery to the Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 17, noting his dip in production during the NCAA Tournament.
Kalbrosky has Washington's Hannes Steinbach and Iowa State's Joshua Jefferson ahead of Ament at No. 15 and 16.
The 2026 NBA Draft will take place June 23-24.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: [email protected]
Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee basketball star Nate Ament's NBA draft projection after deadline passes
Continue reading...
Ament initially declared for the draft on April 23. While returning to Tennessee for another year of development and a shot at reaching the program's first Final Four was enticing, the NBA was always the goal for the former five-star high school prospect and projected lottery pick.
Ament is expected to be Tennessee's first lottery pick since Marcus Haislip went No. 13 overall in the 2002 draft to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Vols' last first-round pick was Dalton Knecht, who went No. 17 to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2024.
Ament's stock has held firm around the mid-to-late lottery range throughout the season. He measured at 6-foot-10, 211-pounds at the NBA draft combine with a 6-foot, 11.5-inch wingspan.
The All-SEC freshman forward averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists for the Vols. He shot 39.9% from the field and 33.3% from 3-point range during Tennessee's run to its third consecutive Elite Eight appearance.
Nate Ament's latest NBA draft projections
The NBA determined the order of the top 14 picks in the draft after the lottery on May 10.
Ament's most popular fit is at No. 10 to the Bucks according to CBS Sports, The Ringer and ESPN.
USA TODAY's Bryan Kalbrosky differs on Ament's projection. He has him going outside of the lottery to the Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 17, noting his dip in production during the NCAA Tournament.
Kalbrosky has Washington's Hannes Steinbach and Iowa State's Joshua Jefferson ahead of Ament at No. 15 and 16.
The 2026 NBA Draft will take place June 23-24.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: [email protected]
Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee basketball star Nate Ament's NBA draft projection after deadline passes
Continue reading...
