Nate Ament widely projected to be a top-five pick in 2026 NBA Draft

Tennessee Basketball history was made Thursday night when Chaz Lanier and Jahmai Mashack were selected in the second round of the NBA Draft. For the first time since the draft went to two rounds in 1989, the Vols have had players selected in five straight drafts.

Rick Barnes now has 10 NBA Draft picks in his 10 seasons at Tennessee, the same number of Vols drafted in the two-round era before Barnes arrived, from 1989-2015.

The last six Tennessee picks in the NBA Draft have been one-and-done with the Vols: Chaz Lanier, Dalton Knecht, Julian Phillips, Kennedy Chandler, Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson. 

Next in line to be one-and-done is Nate Ament, the five-star freshman who is already projected to be a top-five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-9, 190-pound Ament is ranked No. 2 overall in the On3 ratings, making him one of the highest-ranked recruits to ever commit to and sign with Tennessee. He’s the No. 2 small forward in the 2026 class. 

Here is where Ament is projected in the way-too-early 2026 NBA mock drafts:

ESPN: No. 4, Charlotte Hornets

ESPN: “A late bloomer, Ament has grown significantly in the past year, filling out his frame at 6-foot-11 … He’s a tremendous shotmaker, has improved his passing and defensive versatility, and his ability to get a shot off almost at will gives him perhaps the highest upside of any prospect in this class. He’ll be a focal point at Tennessee, allowing NBA teams to evaluate whether he can emerge as a consistently efficient, winning player in a challenging SEC.”

CBS Sports: No. 4, Utah Jazz 

CBS Sports: “Ament is a late-blooming, skilled big forward who now measures above 6-10, has incredibly soft natural touch and is just beginning to tap into his upside. He showed extreme growth throughout the course of his last year in high school, going from a player who barely got minutes on the USA Basketball U18 team to one who became one of the most undeniably gifted in the class … His hands are as soft as his natural touch. He’s a versatile scoring threat with the high release to score over top of smaller defenders, graceful fluidity and tremendous dexterity around the paint. He still needs to build up his body and continue to get more assertive, but his sheer tools combined with his recent rate of improvement is very compelling.”

Bleacher Report: No. 4 overall

Bleacher Report: “Nate Ament’s 6’9” size and perimeter guard skills create an enticing combination and archetype that always pops … He’s been very visible lately after standing out on the Adidas circuit, having played for USA’s U18 team, the Nike Skills Academy and Under Armour’s Elite 24 … He’s thin, could struggle with physicality and needs to continue improving his decision-making and shooting consistency. But at Ament’s size, he’s flashed the type of shotmaking versatility from every level that wing defenders have trouble contesting.”

USA Today: No. 4 overall

Should Ament be drafted at No. 4 overall (or higher), he would be Tennessee’s highest draft pick since Tom Boerwinkle was picked at No. 4 overall by the Chicago Bulls in 1968. Bernard King was the No. 7 overall pick to the New York Nets in 1977, just ahead of Ernie Grunfeld at No. 11 overall to the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Dale Ellis was picked at No. 9 overall by the Dallas Mavericks in 1983, Allan Houston was the No. 11 overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in 1993, Marcus Haislip was the No. 13 pick by the Bucks in 2002 and Tobias Harris was the No. 19 overall pick in 2011. Dalton Knecht was the No. 17 overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers last year.