Nate Ament reacts after ending up with Milwaukee Bucks, 'big shoes to fill'

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The beginning of Nate Ament's NBA career couldn't be any different from his start with Tennessee basketball.

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The Vols brought in the five-star forward to a team they hoped could reach the program's first Final Four appearance under coach Rick Barnes.

The Milwaukee Bucks, who selected the 6-foot-10 Ament with the 13th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after acquiring his rights from the Miami Heat, will have a hard time competing for championships anytime soon.

Ament went from one of the top programs in college basketball to an organization picking up the pieces from a massive trade. Milwaukee shipped out franchise star and two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster deal with the Heat, and began the rebuild with Ament and the 10th pick in the draft, Arizona guard Brayden Burries.

Ament, 19, is ready for the challenge.

"I mean, I really wouldn't say it's much extra pressure," Ament told reporters at Barclays Center in New York on June 23. "Obviously we're stepping in ― luckily I'm not going at it alone. I've got another top-10 draft pick, Brayden Burries. He's a tremendous player, and I'm excited to get to learn with him.

"They're big shoes to fill over there in Milwaukee, and I think that it's just a tremendous opportunity for me and Brayden. If anything I see it as an opportunity and not pressure."

All the thoughts about the future, though, vanished when Ament heard his name called. He hugged his relatives and approaches the stage in an all-black outfit, including a suit jacket lined with references to his Rwandan heritage.

"I'm super excited, I'm super grateful for the opportunity," Ament said about his emotions. "To be able to make my family proud, to share that moment with my family means the world to me."

Since the deal hasn't been finalized, Ament had to wear a Miami Heat hat on stage. He later flipped to another black hat with the Bucks' logo, an organization co-owned by fervent Tennessee supporters Jimmy and Dee Haslam.

Ament earned All-SEC honors with the Vols in his only collegiate season. He averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 35 games. He shot just under 40% from the floor and 33.3% from 3-point range on four attempts.

Ament is the 11th player drafted into the NBA under Barnes during his tenure at Tennessee. He's the first lottery pick of the Barnes' era and fifth first-rounder, joining Dalton Knecht (2024), Keon Johnson (2021), Jaden Springer (2021) and Grant Williams (2019).

Tennessee's last lottery pick was Marcus Haislip, who also went 13th overall to the Bucks in the 2002 NBA Draft.

While he waits to get settled in Milwaukee, Ament has a few calls to make.

"I shared a brief word with Brayden, and looking forward to talking to him more," he said. "But also my new teammates I'll see this next year."

Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: [email protected]

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How Nate Ament reacted after joining Milwaukee Bucks following Heat draft trade

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