After being selected in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, VFL Nate Ament did not play in any of the Bucks’ three games in the California Classic Summer League event this past week. It wasn’t because of any lingering injury, though. According to Ben Steele of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, it was because Ament wasn’t officially on the Bucks’ roster yet.
Ament was taken with the 13th overall pick in the draft, which was a pick that originally belonged to the Miami Heat until just two days before the draft. It ultimately was included in the package to send superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat, which led to the Bucks using the pick to draft Ament.
But with the trade not becoming official until July 6, it meant that Ament wouldn’t be able to play in the three California Classic games, halting the former Volunteer from getting some important reps on the court. That could be changing in the near future, though.
The league-wide NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is set to begin on Thursday. According to ESPN’s Ben Golliver, a source from the Bucks “expressed hope” on Tuesday that Ament will be able to play in the Summer League now that the trade has gone through. Still, though, Golliver adds that Ament’s status “remains uncertain.”
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That hasn’t stopped Golliver from naming Ament as the Bucks’ top player to watch during the Summer League.
“Bucks general manager Jon Horst recently hailed Ament as the University of Tennessee’s ‘best player’ last season, adding that the 19-year-old forward proved to be ‘mentally tough [and] physically tough’ while managing an ankle injury during his freshman campaign. After trading Giannis Antetokounmpo in June, Horst’s Bucks bet on Ament’s long-term upside with the lottery pick they received from the Heat,” Golliver writes. “Though the athletic Ament averaged 16.7 points and 6.3 rebounds for the Volunteers, he managed only seven points on 2-of-12 shooting in a season-ending loss to Michigan in the NCAA tournament. That subpar showing against the Wolverines, who boasted three lottery picks in their frontcourt, raised questions about his ability to make an immediate impact as a rookie.”
Ament is coming off a standout freshman season at Tennessee, where he averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. The 6-foot-10 forward shot 39.9% from the field, 33.3% from three-point range and 79% from the foul line.
The freshman got better over the course of the season and played better in SEC play than he did in non conference play. In 16 SEC games, Ament averaged 19 points and six rebounds per game. He scored 20-plus points in 11 games while scoring a career-high 29 points in wins over Alabama and Ole Miss as well as in a loss against Oklahoma.
The NBA 2K Summer League will take place from July 9 to July 19 in Las Vegas.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for coverage of the event.
