Undoubtedly, Tennessee forward Nate Ament is one of the most intriguing prospects of the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft. While he isn’t in the upper echelon of prospects like Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and AJ Dybantsa, Ament still certainly possesses the upside to rival all three of Peterson, Boozer, and Dybantsa. With the proper development, Ament can be a star wing with three-level scoring at the NBA level.
Regardless, the college season is fast approaching. Now is the time to identify the areas in which Ament excels and where he can improve. Let’s dive into a prospect preview of the first-year forward.
2026 NBA Draft Prospect Preview: Tennessee Forward Nate Ament
Areas Of Excellence
Great Size and Length
One of the clearest positive traits that Ament possesses is his size and physical tools. Standing at six-foot-nine with long arms, Ament has a blend of size and length that gives him a higher ceiling on both ends of the floor. On offense, Ament’s height and physical tools allow him to create advantages against smaller players, like shooting over them. On defense, Ament’s size gives him the defensive versatility to guard multiple positions and be a switchable defender.
Three-Level Scoring Upside
Another area in which Ament shows promise is his potential as a three-level scorer. Ament, who averaged 19 points for Highland School in his senior year, has shown that he is capable of scoring on all three levels, using a combination of his size, length, fluidity, and skill to find ways to score. He has a good touch around the rim when he can get past his defender. Ament utilizes his size to knock down shots over opposing defenders, especially in the mid-range. As a three-point shooter, Ament has a smooth and functional jumper that defenders would find difficult to block. He can knock down threes as both a pull-up threat and a catch-and-shoot player. Plus, he is a good free-throw shooter as well. With greater strength and a tighter handle, Ament can be a high-level scorer on the wings.
Intriguing Defensive Potential
Like his offense, Ament also possesses high upside on the defensive end. As mentioned before, Ament’s size and length grant him enormous versatility as a defender. In particular, he uses his length well to disrupt passing lanes. Furthermore, he uses that length to bother and contest opposing players when defending on the ball. Speaking of on-ball defense, Ament has solid lateral quickness that gives him the ability to stay in front of guards. To be sure, he does need to be stronger, as he can get pushed around. However, if Ament adds more strength to his frame, he has the potential to be a talented defensive piece in the long run.
Solid Ball-Handler And Playmaker
For someone of his size, Ament is a solid ball-handler and playmaker. As a ball-handler, Ament is capable of attacking the rim off the dribble and has shown flashes of using his ball-handling to create separation from his defender. In terms of his playmaking, Ament has also demonstrated solid passing flashes. His height gives him a greater view of the court, allowing him greater passing vision for open teammates. He is especially talented at finding cutters and open shooters when defenses collapse on him.
Areas Of Development And Concern
Lack Of Strength
The most noticeable weakness of Ament is his clear lack of strength and weight on his frame. Specifically, Ament only weighs 190 pounds, which is extremely slim for his size at six-foot-nine. His lack of strength leads to issues on both ends of the floor. On offense, he can be bumped off course when driving to the basket, despite the physicality he plays with. He can also struggle to create separation from his defender due to his lack of strength. As for defense, Ament can get pushed around by stronger players as his center of gravity is on the higher side. Ament certainly needs to develop his strength throughout his freshman season. If he can do that, multiple parts of his game become significantly easier.
Not The Fastest
Another area of concern for Ament is his overall lack of speed or burst. In particular, Ament can struggle to get past defenders as he lacks a good first step. Considering his struggles in high school, the level of defensive competition will only get higher from here. He will need to find ways to mitigate this issue. To be sure, Ament does have the length to shoot over opponents, but he has to discover a way to break down defenders and get to the rim.
Lacks Assertiveness
Ament has major upside as a three-level scorer and has on-ball potential. However, the last key issue with Ament is that he can be passive on the court. While there are games where he can take over, there are many others in which his presence isn’t as felt. With his talent and upside, Ament must increase his dominance on the court. Hopefully, Ament can learn to assert himself more as he develops at Tennessee.
The Last Word
Overall, Ament is a six-foot-nine wing prospect with tons of upside in many facets of his game. He possesses tantalizing three-level scoring potential that NBA teams desire. Not only that, but he also has upside on the defensive end and as a ball-handler. However, Ament has clear limitations that hold him back from the top three of this coming draft.
Nevertheless, Ament and the potential he brings will be a nice consolation prize for any team that doesn’t get into the top three of the lottery. At Tennessee, Ament has the opportunity to show his worth as a prospect and will be someone to watch this college season.
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