The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, regarded as an NBA Draft insider, released a new two-round mock draft this week, projecting Rwandan-American forward Nate Ament to be selected 12th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder. “Ament’s draft range is one of the more difficult ones to figure out,” Vecenie wrote. “He’s working out with teams throughout the middle of the lottery, and the buzz with the Nets, as Jon Rothstein would say, has been palpable. And yet, scouts are mixed on him. Ament declared for the 2026 NBA Draft in April after a standout freshman season with the Tennessee Volunteers. The 19-year-old forward scored 584 points during the campaign, the third-highest total by a freshman in Tennessee history. The first round of the NBA Draft is scheduled for June 23. Born to a Rwandan mother and an American father, Ament is praised for his smooth playing style, scoring ability, and game intelligence. Vecenie noted that supporters of Ament's game value his ball-handling ability, believe he is a better shooter than he showed at Tennessee, and admire his professional mindset. “Sources say that Ament comes off as smart. He cares about his game and improving. He’s someone teams want to believe in. But other scouts worry about his frame and lack of strength, wondering if it’s comparable to some of the issues 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher has dealt with early in his career with the Hawks,” he noted. Ament revealed in a media interview last week that he worked out with the Thunder while Oklahoma City were playing the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. He explained that the workout focused on making quick decisions, taking one or two dribbles, shooting against short closeouts, and driving against hard closeouts. “A lot of it was reading closeouts, understanding the game,” Ament said. “OKC specific. Like they already have their main creators, stuff like that, so being able to learn how to play off them,” he said. With two selections among the top 17 picks, the Thunder are considered a potential landing spot for Ament. During his freshman season at Tennessee, Ament averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 35 games. Ament is one of three Tennessee players included in Vecenie’s two-round mock draft. Felix Okpara is projected to go 48th overall to the Dallas Mavericks, while Ja’Kobi Gillespie is predicted to be selected 50th by the Toronto Raptors.
