Bleacher Report Projects Nate Ament No. 14 to Miami Heat in Latest Mock Draft

Image: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

By Aidan Sidoti

A return to Knoxville should not be off the table for Nate Ament.

Bleacher Report lead scout and NBA Draft insider Jonathan Wasserman released his updated 2026 NBA Draft projections Tuesday, slotting Tennessee freshman forward Nate Ament at No. 14 overall to the Miami Heat. Wasserman also drew a notable pro comparison, linking him to former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher.

Ament, the Manassas (VA) native, is averaging 16.9 points and a team‑leading 6.4 rebounds per game while earning All‑SEC Second Team honors and six SEC Freshman of the Week awards. His production has dipped slightly in recent weeks as he continues to manage a right ankle injury suffered late in the regular season.

Even so, Ament delivered 16 points on 4‑for‑11 shooting in Tennessee’s win over Virginia to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Against Miami (OH), however, he posted the first scoreless outing of his freshman campaign, going 0‑for‑3 in 18 minutes.

Wasserman does remain bullish on Ament’s long-term outlook.

“Though not always efficient, Nate Ament was looking like a more confident and decisive scorer before going down with an ankle injury,” Wasserman wrote. “He was getting to spots cleaner, elevating in traffic and stepping into threes. There will always be demand and patience when it comes to 6‑10 wings with shoot‑dribble‑pass skill sets, and Ament has at least 12 made field goals in ball‑screen, isolation, spot‑up and movement off‑screen situations. He’s getting to the line at a strong rate, yet he isn’t a black hole, averaging 2.5 assists.”

Wasserman also outlined the concerns for Ament.

“The case against Ament questions if the shooting will be good enough to offset projected issues around a lack of explosion and strength for turning the corner and finishing. Even while he’s been far more productive lately, he’s still at just 51.3 percent on layups during conference play. The case for him shows a diverse shot‑maker who can get his shot off cleanly at will due to positional height and release point.” 

Ament now enters the biggest opportunity of his young career to elevate his draft stock. The 6‑seeded Vols face 2‑seeded Iowa State in Chicago on Friday night, with tipoff set for 10:10 p.m. ET on TBS.