The Milwaukee Bucks have a slew of questions facing them this offseason, most notably regarding what the future holds for Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks also have the number ten overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, which is slated to get underway next week.
Recently, NBA insider Sam Vecenie of The Athletic mentioned Tennessee wing Nate Ament as a potential target for the Bucks at that spot, and pointed out an interesting connection that Milwaukee has to the standout freshman.
“Several sources have pointed to owner Jimmy Haslam’s connection to Tennessee, as he’s a large donor to the school. On June 4, the Haslam family gave $130 million to the university, the largest gift in school history,” reported Vecenie.
Ament didn't play a ton of minutes during his time in Tennessee but flashed plenty of potential that seemingly is built for the modern NBA, including size, outside shooting ability, and athleticism, making him a good fit for the current era of positionless basketball taking over the league.
While he might not be the most NBA-ready prospect in this draft, he could end up paying dividends for Milwaukee long-term, particularly if they were to fully embrace a rebuild this summer by trading Antetokounmpo.
At this point, many fans likely aren't going to believe a Giannis trade is going down until they see it, as rumors have been swirling on that front for over a year, with nothing to show for it up to this point. Seemingly everyone has come to the realization that a divorce is in the best interest of both sides except for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks themselves, but Ament likely isn't the kind of player the Bucks would want to take if they are trying to win right now.
The NBA Draft is set for June 23 in Brooklyn.
