Nate Ament’s draft landing spot may not stay tied to the Milwaukee Bucks for long. With Giannis Antetokounmpo expected to be traded before the first round of the 2026 NBA draft on June 23, the pick that has been linked to Ament could change shape before teams are even on the clock.
That is why Ament is drawing attention now. The Bucks own No. 10, and they could also land No. 13 if they deal with Miami. In mock drafts, that has made Milwaukee one of the cleanest fits for the 6-foot-10 forward, even as the board around him keeps moving.
Ament is not approaching the process like someone trying to chase a specific slot. On June 19, he said on SportsCenter that it does not really matter if he gets drafted high or low, as long as he can come in and impact the game immediately. He added that if he is playing, that is what matters to him. He also told that he has only worked out with the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets and Oklahoma City Thunder, which leaves the Bucks connected to him mostly through meetings and projections rather than a private workout.
That disconnect is part of the story. Ament reportedly met with Bucks general manager Jon Horst and coach Taylor Jenkins, but Milwaukee never brought him in for a workout. Even so, ’s Bryan Kalbrosky, CBS Sports, the Ringer and Yahoo Sports all had him going to the Bucks in their most recent mock drafts, while Jordan Mendoza moved him outside the lottery to Chicago at No. 15. had him at No. 9 to Dallas before the Mavericks hired Dusty May, another reminder that one move by a team above him can reroute the whole draft board.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Felix Okpara are showing the same kind of uncertainty, only later in the draft. Both are appearing in most second-round mock drafts for the 2026 NBA draft. Gillespie has been mocked as high as No. 41 to Miami and as low as No. 55 to New York, with Phoenix at No. 47 and Washington at No. 51 also in the mix. He led the Vols with 18.4 points, 5.4 assists and 2.1 steals last season. Okpara has been projected to Chicago at No. 38, Boston at No. 40, Orlando at No. 46 and Phoenix at No. 47 after averaging 1.5 blocks for the SEC’s top defense and finishing at 8.0 points on almost 60% shooting with 6.3 rebounds.
For Ament, the key question is not whether he belongs near the top of the board. It is whether the Bucks he keeps getting linked to will still be in the same place when the draft opens at 8 p.m. ET on June 23.
