For the second consecutive season, the Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball team fell one game short of making the Final Four. This has been a regular annoyance for head coach Rick Barnes and the entire program.
Nate Ament was expected to declare for the NBA Draft when the season ended. However, there was said to be a genuine dispute within his agency about whether it was the best course of action.
“League front office personnel tell me that his agency, LIFT Sports Management, is divided on the decision because they feel Ament might be the No. 1 selection in 2027,” says Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor.
Ament declared for the draft on the final day that players were allowed to register. The rookie forward stated plainly that Knoxville will always have a particular place in his heart.
“I commit to always represent the Vols with the utmost pride,” Ament stated. This university means more to me than only basketball. To me, it’s a place I call home. I might have only been here for a year, but I will remember this year for the rest of my life.
Ament is now focused on where he might end up at the next level. There is increasing optimism that he will join the Milwaukee Bucks and maybe play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“Whether Giannis Antetokounmpo is a part of it, the Bucks should take a chance to kick-start their new era,” O’Connor wrote. “Players who can handle, shoot off the dribble, and stand at 6-foot-10 do not grow on trees. This physical basis helped Ament stay in lottery contention despite a terrible start to his freshman season, during which he failed to score effectively and have a defensive effect,” O’Connor wrote.
Ament might be a good match for Milwaukee, notably because he would provide the Bucks even more length with Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner. He is also a talented ball-handler who has improved at generating separation and reaching his offensive positions.
Milwaukee might receive a huge boost from a lineup with Ament at the three. However, if Antetokounmpo seeks a deal, Ament might easily step into the role of the team’s main power forward.
