Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes has sent an enthusiastic message to Milwaukee Bucks fans after the franchise acquired NBA Draft 2026 prospect Nate Ament from the Miami Heat. Selected 13th overall in the draft, the Rwandan-American forward was included among three first-round picks sent to Milwaukee as part of Monday's blockbuster trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Before entering the NBA, Ament starred for the University of Tennessee under Barnes, one of college basketball's most respected coaches, who has also mentored NBA stars such as Kevin Durant. Speaking in a video message posted on X on June 24, Barnes expressed his confidence in the 19-year-old's future. They've got the steal of the draft, Barnes said. As time plays out, everything that you and I talked about, everything you want to do at that level, is going to happen. Barnes has long been one of Ament's biggest believers. During the recruiting process, he even showed the former five-star prospect a film of Durant as a way of illustrating the ceiling he believed Ament could reach. Ament averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists during his lone season with the Tennessee Volunteers. NBA Draft 2026: Rick Barnes' gesture reflects Nate Ament's value to Tennessee He is the 11th player drafted into the NBA under Barnes during his tenure at Tennessee. He's the first lottery pick of the Barnes' era and fifth first-rounder, joining Dalton Knecht (2024), Keon Johnson (2021), Jaden Springer (2021) and Grant Williams (2019). Tennessee's last lottery pick was Marcus Haislip, who also went 13th overall to the Bucks in the 2002 NBA Draft.
