We still don’t know if forward Nate Ament will return to the Tennessee Vols next season or if he’ll enter the 2026 NBA Draft.

The fact that it’s mid-April and we still don’t know Ament’s plans for next season suggests that a return is at least possible.

What are the chances that Nate Ament returns to Tennessee?

Ament isn’t a guaranteed lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. If he was, this would be an easy decision.

The Virginia native is still getting feedback on where he would likely be selected if he enters the draft. If the feeling is that Ament will fall out of lottery range, then it’s possible he could return to Tennessee for his sophomore season and earn as much as he would as a rookie in the NBA.

These decisions, however, aren’t always just about money. Getting to the NBA is obviously a lifelong dream for Ament, and it could be tough to turn down that opportunity even if he isn’t going to be a lottery pick.

One thing that’s working in the Vols’ favor, though, is that he’s loved his time at Tennessee.

“I’ll say this: he has really enjoyed his time at Tennessee,” said VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs Friday on 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will. “He’s taken an in-person class. He’s not one of these athletes who’s only taken online classes. I bumped into him a week or so before the spring game…he was walking through the complex. I said, ‘What are you doing?’ He goes, ‘I just came from class.’ And I’m like, ‘Why are you going to class? What are we doing?’ He goes, ‘Oh, I’ve got to finish (classes).’

“He’s hanging out with football guys and other athletes. I mean, he has really enjoyed the college experience. Now he has to make a business decision — as we all have to do at some point in time. But this is not the lay down because he hates college. He does not hate college. He does not hate his time at Tennessee. He’s not bored with his time at Tennessee, if you will. He’s just got to figure out where he is projected to be picked. I mean, if the projection of the (Atlanta) Hawks at No. 8 is real, then he’s got to go. But if the projection slips to late in the lottery or just outside of the lottery, you’re in a very different conversation with your financial advisor, your parents, and your agent at that point.”

The deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft and still retain college eligibility is May 27, so Ament doesn’t have to be in a rush to make a decision.

If Ament decides late in the process that he wants to return, the feeling is that Tennessee would welcome him back with open arms and a fat NIL check.