One prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft who has seen a resurgence of late is Tennessee forward Nate Ament. Standing at six-foot-ten, Ament has demonstrated himself to be a rangy forward who has upside as a shooter and defender. Furthermore, he has shown promise as a rebounder and passer. While he struggled early on this season, Ament has turned it around this past month in conference play. Under the right development staff, Ament can be an impactful floor-spacing wing in the future for an NBA team. As of February 18th, let’s dive into a ranking of the best fits for Ament among teams currently projected to be in the 2026 NBA Draft lottery.
Best Fits For Tennessee’s Nate Ament Among Lottery Teams
San Antonio Spurs
One partnership between a team and a player that would work out well for both sides is a partnership between Ament and the San Antonio Spurs. For the Spurs, they clearly need another bigger wing in their rotation who can shoot, defend, and rebound at a high level. In terms of those three things, Ament has the upside to provide all three while being a taller wing. A combination of Carter Bryant and Ament would be a great wing rotation in the frontcourt next to Victor Wembanyama. In an ideal future, Ament can fit with Bryant as athletic 3-and-D wings between a world-class talent in Wembanyama, forming a great defensive trio.
On Ament’s end, the Spurs would be an ideal landing spot for him. For his specific skill set, he would immensely benefit from playing next to strong playmakers like De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper, who can help him get easy looks. Additionally, having strong-bodied defenders like Castle and Keldon Johnson around him can help in handling physically imposing wings. More importantly, the Spurs have an excellent developmental staff that can help Ament. In particular, he needs to improve the strength of his frame as he still struggles with contact. Plus, he can use more development in his shot. Ament going to San Antonio would be a great fit for all parties involved.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Another team that Ament would be a good fit for is the Oklahoma City Thunder. They can also use another bigger wing in the rotation. Ament has the size and length the Thunder can use on the perimeter. Furthermore, he fits within their drafting philosophy of being able to dribble, pass, and shoot. Next to Chet Holmgren, Ament can make Oklahoma City’s frontcourt even bigger than it already is. Plus, he will provide additional rebounding from the wings, considering those physical tools. In terms of offense, Ament can provide floor spacing around the Thunder’s stars as well as tertiary ball-handling and passing.
Ament himself would be receiving great benefits from going to Oklahoma City. Firstly, the Thunder themselves have a great developmental staff themselves. They can help him develop while he gets to learn behind great players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren. Additionally, the rest of the Thunder’s roster would be great fits around Ament. They have elite defenders who can help Ament out on that end of the floor. Offensively, they also have players who are elite spacers like Isaiah Joe, who can give Ament room to work with as a scorer. The Thunder and Ament would be a great pairing going forward in terms of fit, providing each other with what they need.
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