Tennessee's Nate Ament declares for 2026 NBA Draft

Projected lottery pick Nate Ament has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports notes, citing Ament’s Instagram. Ament averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists for Tennessee this season and was named to the All-SEC team.  The 6-foot-10 forward struggled with efficiency throughout the season, shooting 39.9% from the field and 33.3% from three despite being a capable shot-maker. He found his rhythm toward the end of the season, putting together a 10-game stretch from January to mid-February where he averaged 23.4 points and 6.5 rebounds while hitting 38.1% of his 4.2 threes per game. Tennessee’s Nate Ament has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, per his IG page. Ament is ninth on Jeremy Woo’s mock draft for ESPN and eighth on his big board, where Woo writes that he likely won’t be able to come in and immediately contribute to winning, but has an interesting mix of fluidity and skill for his size. Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has him at 13 on his mock draft, citing the contrast between his potential as a three-level scorer and concerns about his lack of burst or strength. Early entrants who won’t be automatically eligible have until the end of the day on Friday to declare for the 2026 NBA Draft. This article first appeared on Hoops Rumors and was syndicated with permission. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!