CBS Sports shares the latest on whether Tennessee Vols forward Nate Ament plans to stay in the 2026 NBA Draft
Tennessee Volunteers star forward Nate Ament officially declared for the 2026 NBA Draft in April, but he has until May 27 to withdraw his name if he decides he wants to return to Knoxville for one more season.
Tennessee Vols star forward Nate Ament officially declared for the 2026 NBA Draft last month.
Ament is considered a fringe lottery pick, though some analysts believe he’ll boost his draft stock enough to put himself firmly among the top 14 picks.
The feeling is that Ament is going to stay in the draft regardless of what he hears over the next few weeks. But since he has until May 27 to withdraw from the draft, speculation on whether that’s a realistic scenario has continued among fans.
CBS Sports’ Cameron Salerno, though, says Ament is “all in” on the draft.
Salerno put Ament in the “likely staying in the draft, but never say never” group of draft prospects this week.
“Ament entered the season as a projected top 10 pick,” wrote Salerno. “Despite his freshman season at Tennessee being a mixed bag, he did show significant signs of improvement throughout the year and could be a potential lottery pick. The one knock on Ament’s season was the efficiency, as he shot less than 40% from the floor. Ament did shoot 79% on 7.1 attempts per game from the free-throw line, which is a positive sign for his long-term development as a shooter.
“Tennessee has spent nearly $20 million in the transfer portal this offseason, so it’s hard to envision Ament returning at this point, and he chose not to enter the transfer portal. He’s all-in on the draft. CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish and Adam Finkelstein both have Ament going No. 10 to the Milwaukee Bucks in their latest mock drafts following the NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday.”
Ament seems at peace with his decision, and it would be quite costly for the Vols to bring him back after landing Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris (who is expected to make “upward of $4 million” at Tennessee).
You should never say never in college sports, but it would be quite a shock at this point if Ament decides to withdraw from draft.