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Nate Ament walked across the NBA Draft stage in a Miami Heat hat, but he's not headed to South Beach.
The Tennessee standout will go to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, as the Bucks acquired the No. 13 pick in the blockbuster deal that sent their franchise legend to Miami on Monday night.
Ament slid a bit further than expected in Tuesday's first round, falling to the last two picks of the lottery and even sliding past the Bucks at No. 10 overall, but Milwaukee is undoubtedly excited to bring him in alongside Arizona's Brayden Burries.
Here's a closer look at the Bucks' selection of Ament.
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Why Bucks drafted Nate Ament
The Bucks are going to have one of the most interesting rosters in the NBA next season as they try to make all the pieces fit, but they traded two forwards in Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis. Kel’el Ware helps fill the void in the frontcourt, but after taking a guard in Burries at No. 10, a forward with Ament’s potential was a natural fit at No. 13.
Ament is a high-risk player in the lottery, as he didn’t rebound well for his size at Tennessee and shot just 39.9 percent in part because his finishing rate at the rim was concerningly low, but his athleticism and defensive skill set are so strong that serious development on the offensive end could turn him into a franchise cornerstone.
That’s a sensible pick for a team that already made a first-round selection. The Bucks expect Burries to be a piece they can build around, while Ament is more of a project for a franchise that needs high-upside players after dealing Antetokounmpo.
MORE: Grading the Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster trade
Why did Nate Ament wear a Heat hat?
The Antetokounmpo trade can't be finalized until the NBA's moratorium is lifted on July 6, so the pick can't officially change hands until that point.
To make matters a bit less awkward though, the Heat announced that the rights to Ament will be traded to the Bucks as part of a deal to be announced later — without saying what the rest of the basketball world already knows: Antetokounmpo is coming to Miami.
MORE: How Giannis Antetokounmpo fits into new Heat lineup
Giannis Antetokounmpo trade details
The Heat traded four players, four picks and one pick swap to the Bucks for Antetokounmpo.
Heat receive:
- F Giannis Antetokounmpo
- F Bobby Portis
Bucks receive:
- G Tyler Herro
- G Jaime Jaquez Jr.
- C Kel'el Ware
- G Kasparas Jakucionis
- 2026 No. 13 pick (Nate Ament)
- 2031 first-round pick (unprotected)
- 2033 first-round pick (unprotected)
- 2033 second-round pick
- 2030 pick swap
Ament will join Herro, Jaquez, Ware and Jakucionis in Milwaukee, along with No. 10 pick Brayden Burries. The Bucks will have to wait until at least 2030 to reap the benefits of the remaining picks they received from Miami.
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