​Nate Ament is now officially a professional basketball player after signing with the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. Ament, a highly touted recruit who ranked among the top five in the class of 2025 and earned a five-star rating, joined the Bucks with the 13th overall pick in the NBA Draft. He opted to spend just one season at Tennessee, marking another successful placement for NBA talent under coach Rick Barnes. Ament signed a four-year deal with Milwaukee, guaranteed to total $25.9 million. His rookie year will pay him about $5.5 million, with annual increases that climb to roughly $8.6 million by the fourth year of the contract. He will reach unrestricted free agency after the 2030-2031 season.
At Tennessee, Ament entered the program as Rick Barnes’ highest-rated prospect ever. To secure his commitment over contenders like Duke and several other elite programs, the Volunteers reportedly offered him in the neighborhood of $4 million. While he initially faced mixed opinions from scouts and executives about his pro potential, discussion of a return to college surfaced, there was never a firm plan, and Ament ultimately declared for the draft, feeling confident about his draft stock.
The decision paid off, as Ament now steps into a substantial opportunity—replacing Giannis Antetokounmpo as a cornerstone of the Bucks’ plans. Tennessee, for its part, benefited from his departure, likely using the investment to land Juke Harris and further bolster a standout transfer portal class.
Ament’s Summer League debut is scheduled for Friday, July 10, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, broadcast on Prime. In a twist of timing, his first Summer League appearance will come against the Miami Heat. This marks the beginning of his professional journey and a new chapter for both him and the Volunteers, who continue to leverage their strong recruiting and development pipeline as they navigate the evolving landscape of college basketball and the NBA.