Matt Johnson
The Sacramento Kings have been heavily linked in NBA rumors to top point guards in the 2026 NBA Draft. As Round 1 nears, it appears that the club is also starting to explore another option.
In his latest 2026 NBA mock draft, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic said that while it feels “likely” that Sacramento will wind up using the seventh overall pick on a point guard, the front office has been “doing due diligence” on Nate Ament.
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- Nate Ament stats (2025-26): 16.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 39.9% FG, 1.3 3PM per game, 33.3% 3PT
Ament, age 19, is one of the biggest risk-reward prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-10 forward enrolled at Tennessee rated by 247 Sports as a five-star recruit and the fourth-best player in the 2025 recruiting class. Viewed as a likely top-five pick at the time, he had an up-and-down freshman season.
Injuries were an issue for him this past season. He suffered a leg injury that sidelined him in early March and he wound up playing through it in the NCAA Tournament. Across Tennessee’s run to the Elite Eight, Ament shot just 33.3 percent from the field (12-for-36) with 11 personal fopuls and 8 turnovers while averaging just 10.3 points per game.
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Among the consensus 2026 NBA Draft prospect rankings, ESPN‘s Jeremy Woo rates Ament as the ninth-best prospect in the class while The Ringer ranks him as the 19th-best player overall.
“Ament had some of the best wing measurements at the combine, with outstanding size for a perimeter player at 6-9½ barefoot with a 6-11½ wingspan. His inconsistent play and struggles with physicality have been polarizing for NBA teams, but the scarcity of skilled players with his dimensions makes him worth a long look in the lottery.”
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo on NBA Draft prospect Nate AMent
Ament’s ceiling is tremendously high thanks to his length, athleticism and ability to space the floor. The ceiling he offers rivals some of the top prospects in the class, but the teenager could also flame out in the NBA and be out of the league in a few years.
Taking Ament with the seventh overall pick would be a massive gamble for Sacramento, especially given its past issues with player development. While he seems to be an option for the Kings front office, there remains a very high likelihood that the Kings will use their first-round pick on a point guard.
