The Brooklyn Nets did not get the outcome they were hoping for when they came away from the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery with the No. 6 overall pick instead of No. 1. Brooklyn won’t be able to select BYU forward AJ Dybantsa or Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, but it seems like they’re zeroing in on who they would like to bring into their organization for the future.

“For now, Ament gets the nod with this choice given Brooklyn already has so many guards on the roster. Players like Ament who can handle, shoot off the dribble and stand at 6-foot-10 don’t grow on trees,” Kevin O’Connor wrote of Tennessee forward Nate Ament in his latest mock draft for Yahoo! Sports. O’Connor projected the Nets to take Ament with the No. 6 pick, meaning they would be forgoing the chance to take Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. or Illinois guard Keaton Wagler by doing so.

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“This physical foundation kept Ament in lottery consideration even after a dreadful start to his freshman season when he struggled to score efficiently and make an impact defensively,” O’Connor continued. “But over the second half of the year for Tennessee, he flipped a switch and shots began to fall. He averaged 23.8 points over a six-game stretch in January and February that reminded everyone why he was a top recruit.”

Despite Ament’s struggles during the first half of the 2025-26 season, he still finished with a solid freshman season for the Volunteers that showed what his floor and ceiling could be at the next level. Ament, who measured at 6-foot-9 (barefoot) and almost 211 pounds at the Combine in May, averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 39.9% from the field and 33.3% from behind the three-point line.

O’Connor has previously reported that the Nets have been linked to Ament and Michigan center Aday Mara so it seems like they could veer away from the consensus that is projecting them to take one of the many guards that should be available at the No. 6 pick. However, Ament presents as the kind of player with great positional size and shotmaking ability so Brooklyn could be looking for upside more than anything else.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets projected to select Tennessee F Nate Ament in 2026 NBA Draft