ESPN’s Jeremy Woo Projects Nate Ament No. 9 to Dallas in Final Mock Draft
Image: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
By Aidan Sidoti
BROOKLYN – ESPN NBA Draft analyst JeremyWoo released his final mock draft ahead of Tuesday and Wednesday’s NBA Draft in Brooklyn, projecting Tennessee forward Nate Ament to go No. 9 overall to the Dallas Mavericks. If that holds, Ament would become Tennessee’s first top 10 pick since Dale Ellis, also selected No. 9 by Dallas, in 1983.
Woo also slotted Tennessee center Felix Okpara at No. 40 to the Boston Celtics and point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie at No. 41 to the Miami Heat, which would mark the first time since 2019 that Tennessee has produced three draft picks in the same class.
Ament averaged 16.7 points and tied for the team lead with 6.3 rebounds per game during his lone season in Knoxville. The Manassas (Va.) native earned All-SEC Second Team honors and collected 6 SEC Freshman of the Week awards while emerging as one of the most versatile bigs in this draft cycle.
“Ament's draft range has remained wide. The Nets at No. 6 are seen as the high end, but scenarios are also in play in which he falls into the second half of the lottery. Teams say he has been selective about scheduling workouts, declining to visit multiple teams in the top 10. The Mavericks and Bucks are two possible landing spots. If those teams go a different direction, he could slide,” Woo wrote. “The Mavericks are another team that appears open to moving back in the draft and has cast a wide net with first-round workouts, with GM Masai Ujiri taking over in May and Dallas keeping its options open as it builds around Cooper Flagg. The franchise -- which is hiring Michigan's Dusty May as its new coach -- has signaled to other teams that it plans to keep Kyrie Irving entering next season.”
Former Tennessee center Felix Okpara landed at No. 40 to the Boston Celtics in Woo’s second round projections. The 6-foot-10 big man spent two seasons in Knoxville after transferring from Ohio State, appearing in 35 games and starting 34 as a senior while averaging 8.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in 26.9 minutes per game. He shot 59.7% from the field.
Gillespie rounded out Tennessee’s presence in the mock at No. 41 to the Miami Heat. The point guard started all 37 games during his lone season on Rocky Top, averaging 18.4 points, 5.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 steals while shooting over 40% from the field.
