One of the Milwaukee Bucks' biggest needs has been a wing that can provide on both ends of the floor, and that issue has plagued them for several seasons. FanSided's latest NBA Mock Draft sees the Bucks draft guard Darius Acuff Jr. with the 11th pick, but forward Nate Ament is right there one pick later and would be a much better selection.
Bucks need to build their wing depth. Ament would be a nice selection
The Ousmane Dieng addition has certainly added to the Bucks' wing core, but it still lacks quality. Kyle Kuzma has been very up and down during his tenure in Milwaukee, Taurean Prince has been injured all season, and despite his effort, AJ Green can play at the three, but his size just gets exploited far too often.
During his freshman season with the Tennessee Volunteers, Ament is averaging 17.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and a steal on shooting splits of .414/.328/.792.
At 6-foot-10, Ament would be a really good fit for the Bucks with his versatility. His recent conference play has been a contrast to his slow start at Tennessee. Ament thrives when driving to the rim and drawing fouls, whilst his high release makes him a real interior threat with a soft touch at the basket.
Defensively, he excels as a weak-side rim protector, and his size would allow the Bucks to play him at the four or even five if they thought he could hold his own. His athleticism allows him to switch a lot on defense, something the 25th-ranked defense needs.
One area that Ament certainly needs to work on is his shooting. A 32.8 percent shooter from deep is solid, but the Bucks are a high-volume 3-point shooting team, so it may be something that holds him back.
Bucks don't need another guard
The original pick of Acuff would certainly bring more talent to the Bucks roster. However, the backcourt is one of the strong points for Milwaukee right now, with Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. having strong individual seasons. Acuff has an incredibly high ceiling and can score at all three levels.
The only issue would be the Bucks may have to move players on for them to allow Acuff a real run in the rotation, but we've seen Jon Horst and the front office be bold before.
Milwaukee still has Bogoljub Markovic overseas, who could be a part of the team next season. Pairing him in the frontcourt with Ament could be a nice fit with the Serbian's ability to stretch the floor and Ament's versatility on defense.
There have been plenty of players the Bucks have drafted in recent years, many of whom have been moved on very quickly, but they were never as high a pick as what they will have in the 2026 NBA Draft. Nate Ament would be a really nice fit for the roster as it stands, but where the roster is in the offseason is a very different question.