The 2025-26 NBA season is officially in the rearview with the New York Knicks defeating the San Antonio Spurs in five games to secure the franchise’s first championship since 1973. With the NBA Finals over, the league turns its full attention to next week’s NBA Draft.
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo released his latest full, 60-pick mock draft on Monday with three Tennessee basketball players projected to hear their names called.
ESPN projects the Milwaukee Bucks to select wing Nate Ament with the No. 10 pick, the Miami Heat to select point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie with the No. 41 pick and the San Antonio Spurs to select center Felix Okpara with the No. 42 pick in this month’s NBA Draft.
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.
“Ament’s draft range has remained on the wider side,” Woo wrote. “The Nets at No. 6 are seen as the realistic high end, but scenarios are also in play in which he falls into the second half of the lottery. Teams say he has been selective about scheduling workouts, declining to visit multiple teams in the top 10. From a best-available perspective, Ament should be in play for the Bucks.”
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Gillespie spent just one season at Tennessee but made it a memorable one, averaging 18.4 points per game on 41% shooting from the field and 34% shooting from three-point range. He also averaged 5.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game while setting Tennessee’s single-season steal record with 79 steals.
The 6-foot guard has a deep range on his jump shot and fantastic balance and finishing skills around the rim which gives him a high offensive ceiling.
Okpara has flown up draft boards during the draft process after a strong showing at the NBA combine. Okpara is coming off a senior season where he averaged 8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. However, Okpara’s block numbers were lower because the Vols asked him to guard on the perimeter.
Playing two bigs last season, Okpara was the only Tennessee big man who excelled guarding smaller and quicker guards and wings. With the Vols’ aggressive —often switching— ball screen defense, Okpara gave them the versatility they craved.
Ten Tennessee basketball players have been selected in the NBA Draft during Rick Barnes’ tenure including four first round selections. Nate Ament must go before the 17th pick to become the highest selected player of Barnes’ tenure.
The 2026 NBA Draft begins on Tuesday, June 23 and runs through Wednesday, June 24 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
