Tennessee forward Nate Ament is one of the biggest prospects to come out of Knoxville, and a recent update has proved that he's firmly projected in the middle of the lottery. The NBA released its green room invites for the draft today, and Ament made the cut along with other top names like AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and others. It’s a big deal for Ament, as a player who was once slipping in mock drafts has now established himself as a key prospect in one of the deepest draft classes ever.
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What stands out the most is that, in a previous year, Ament would likely have been selected even higher. It wouldn't be a hot take to say he's a top-five pick in other drafts or even higher. Right now, it’s logical to see him going in the middle tier of players around picks 7–12 in June. He’s not considered a top prospect like Boozer or Dybantsa, but he is viewed as a player with All-Star upside and someone worthy of a top-10 pick or in that range. He's a legit lottery prospect.
First wave of 2026 draft green room invites went out today, per sources:
AJ Dybantsa
Darryn Peterson
Cam Boozer
Caleb Wilson
Keaton Wagler
Mikel Brown Jr.
Darius Acuff Jr.
Aday Mara
Karim Lopez
Kingston Flemings
Nate Ament
Brayden Burries
Christian Anderson Jr.
Labaron Philon
— Jeremy Woo (@JeremyWoo) June 9, 2026
Nate Ament gets a green room invite
This is a big development for Ament. As mentioned above, you don’t get invited unless you’re considered a top prospect, because nobody wants to be sitting with their palms in their face like Christian Wood on draft night. There is growing confidence around Ament that he will be a top pick, which is significant, especially since he didn’t start out very hot for the Vols. However, by the middle of SEC play, he completely flipped the script. In a game where Tennessee got run out on the road by Florida, he was the only bright spot. He posted 17 points on 5–11 shooting, and from there, he never looked back.
Plus, despite having struggles that largely stemmed from being undersized and streaky shooting, he never lacked the confidence to keep going. Ament was still aggressive attacking the basket, fighting through the physicality of the SEC and trying to draw fouls. Sure, you’d love to see him finish at a better rate for a 6-foot-10 forward, but as he continues to grow into his frame, that should improve.
What makes Ament such a big-time prospect is his combination of size, IQ, and the tools he possesses. Ament doesn’t have a glaring weakness in his game. He is a solid shooter who can score at all three levels in various ways. EH can be a catch-and-shoot guy or get his own bucket off the bounce. As a forward, he's shown he can be a guy who can pass well for the position and be a plus rebounder. He does everything at a serviceable level, and there is nothing in his game that stands out as a clear red flag.
Ament has a lot of potential landing spots, but one thing is clear, and it's that he’s going to come off the board early in the draft.
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