The Milwaukee Bucks have been heavily connected to Nate Ament leading up to the 2026 NBA Draft. Just about every mock draft has him landing in Milwaukee. There are plenty of mixed opinions on the Tennessee forward, making him a risky candidate with the Bucks' 10th pick. Yet there is a slim chance Ament might be off the board when the Bucks are on the clock, as the Brooklyn Nets are interested.
According to Yahoo! Sports NBA writer Kevin O'Connor, the Nets have indeed been linked to Ament in the weeks leading up to the draft. Do the Nets like the forward enough to take him with the sixth pick? With how much he's been connected to the Bucks, their best bet would be taking him before anyone else can even think about it. Doing so could be a blessing in disguise for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Ament poses risks Bucks can't take
Though Ament has the tools to be a good player, he's incredibly raw. His freshman year at Tennessee was as turbulent as could be. There were glimpses of a great player, but they were overshadowed by his stretches of ugly performances. He looks like someone who needs time to develop before he is ready to contribute at the next level, and that's not something the Bucks may have.
If the Milwaukee Bucks convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to stay, taking Ament would become all the more baffling. They need someone who can help sooner rather than later. If the Greek Freak leaves in the offseason and the Bucks reset, taking Ament makes more sense, but even then, this team doesn't control its future draft-wise. They aren't going to "tank" and develop raw project players.
Ament needs to land somewhere that can hand him the keys immediately and give him the time to develop his game. Milwaukee just isn't that. When was the last time the Bucks hit on a development project? Sure, Taylor Jenkins could potentially help in that regard, but even then, he might not have the answers to unearth Ament.
This class is full of fascinating prospects
The Milwaukee Bucks must figure out what Giannis wants to do before they submit their draft pick, but this class is full of intriguing names. If Antetokounmpo stays, taking Yaxel Lendeborg, a polished prospect from Michigan, would make sense. If he leaves, someone with more upside like Karim Lopez suddenly makes sense. A player like Brayden Burries fits either scenario.
Ament simply feels like the type of high-upside swing that the Milwaukee Bucks love to take in the moment but never really follow through with. Look at MarJon Beauchamp, AJ Johnson, and Chris Livingston. None of them are on the team anymore. There's no guarantee that Ament would suffer a similar fate, but it's certainly possible.
Landing in Brooklyn, a team that can afford to be patient and develop raw prospects, would make far more sense for Nate Ament.
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