After months of speculation, the 2026 NBA Draft order is officially set after Sunday afternoon’s draft lottery. The Washington Wizards were the biggest winner, landing the top pick while the Indiana Pacers were a massive losers while losing its protected draft pick.
Most Tennessee related attention around the NBA Draft has been about Nate Ament and the varying projections about where he will be selected in the draft. But seniors Felix Okpara and Ja’Kobi Gillespie are also both draft prospects who could be selected in the second round of this summer’s NBA Draft.
Here’s where both ESPN and The Athletic projected all three players to be selected in their post lottery mock drafts.
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Nate Ament
ESPN
- Round 1, Pick 10
- Milwaukee Bucks
The Athletic
- Round 1, Pick 10
- Milwaukee Bucks
Ament is a tantalizing draft prospect due in part to the up-and-down nature of his freshman season. He struggled early in the season before putting together a stellar six weeks of play during the SEC slate. But Ament suffered a leg injury late in the regular season before his production understandably dropped as he played through the injury.
The 6-foot-10 wing finished his freshman season by averaging 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He lacked explosiveness in college but his guard skillset at his size makes him a likely lottery pick.
Felix Okpara
ESPN
- Round 2, Pick 54
- Golden State Warriors
The Athletic
- Round 2, Pick 58
- New Orleans Pelicans
A year after Jahmai Mashack made himself a NBA player largely on the back of his standout defense, Okpara has the chance to do the same.
The 6-foot-11 center had lackluster stats in his senior season at Tennessee averaging 8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. But the numbers do not tell the entire story of Okpara’s impact on the game. He’s not only an elite rim protector but is athletic enough to effectively defend guards on the perimeter.
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Ja’Kobi Gillespie
ESPN
- Round 2, Pick 60
- Washington Wizards
The Athletic
- Round 2, Pick 48
- Dallas Mavericks
Gillespie was Tennessee’s leading scorer and an All-SEC contributor in his lone season at Tennessee. Shouldering an abundance of pressure as the Vols’ top ball handler, Gillespie averaged 18.4 points, 5.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game. He’s also a career 36.1% three-point shooter.
The Greeneville native’s size, 6-foot-1 and 188 pounds, hurts his draft stock but his offensive skillset and speed make him a realistic second round pick.
