With the Play-In tournament officially complete and the playoffs beginning, the draft lottery odds, in terms of landing the No. 1 overall pick, have been released. The Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets are favored with 14 percent odds and getting the pick but way down towards the bottom of the board is the Miami Heat. They are ranked at No. 13 in terms of odds and have a one-percent chance at landing the No. 1 pick.
Bleacher Report released their latest mock draft as the NBA playoffs are underway. In their projection, Miami holds the No. 13 selection, the second-to-last pick of the lottery and select Tennessee Volunteers forward Nate Ament. The 19-year-old's pro comparison is Wizards forward Will Riley, a 2025 first-rounder who had a pretty solid rookie campaign although the team was one of the worst in the NBA.
"Nate Ament had a mixed postseason, highlighted by shotmaking flashes, creativity, issues converting drives and struggles against physical defense," the article wrote. "There will always be demand and patience when it comes to 6'10" wings with shoot-dribble-pass skill sets, and Ament has at least 19 made field goals in ball-screen, isolation, spot-up and movement off-screen situations. He's getting to the line at a strong rate, yet he isn't a black hole, averaging 2.3 assists. The case against Ament questions if the shooting will be good enough to offset projected issues around a lack of explosion and strength for turning the corner and finishing. The case for him shows a mismatch and three-level scorer who can get his shot off cleanly at will due to positional height and release point."
Ament helped lead the Volunteers to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 39.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range. Ament was viewed as a five-star recruit and was the No. 4 recruit in the ESPN recruitment rankings heading into this season.
Miami could use another forward, especially if the team parts with Andrew Wiggins this offseason. His player option is up this offseason for $30 million. Ament has the skillset but just needs to improve his efficiency for the next level.
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!