By this point in the draft cycle, most of the Golden State Warriors' likely draft targets at 11th overall have already been explored at length.
If they're seeking out a bruising power forward, Yaxel Lendeborg out of Michigan would likely be their best bet. If they're seeking out a center, Aday Mara would be more than an intriguing option. Even guards like Brayden Burries and Labaron Philon Jr. have taken up their fair share of the airwaves.
But on the mock draft circuit, very few teams have tied the Warriors to one intriguing forward— Nate Ament out of Tennesee. In part, this exclusion is warranted. Golden State needs players who are ready to contribute immediately, and Ament certainly will need some time to find his footing in the NBA.
But the forward is highly talented, and he fills a clear positional need for the Warriors. He's not someone Golden State can afford to keep off their radar entirely as we get closer to the 2026 NBA Draft.
Nate Ament presents the Warriors with an intriguing fit, and he should be available at 11th overall
In class that has no lack of frontcourt talent, Ament has slowly gotten buried by the influx of capable scorers that are likely to go inside the top-10. That shouldn't be a slight to Ament's potential, however.
Across 35 games as a freshman at Tennessee, Ament averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc. At 6'10" and 211 lbs, Ament certainly has the frame to be an impactful swingman in any team's frontcourt at the NBA level. He has serious scoring upside both at the rim and in the mid-range, and his length indicates he has room to improve as a defender.
The problem with Ament is that most of these traits are theoretical. He was highly inconsistent in his lone college season, posting 15 or less points in 12 of his appearances. He shot just 39.9% from the field across all 35 games.
There's room to argue that Golden State can't truly afford to take a swing on a player with a floor as low as Ament. If they're undertaking a soft reset with Stephen Curry still on the roster, they need to do everything within their power to bring impactful contributors into the fold. The 11th overall pick should provide them with ample opportunity to accomplish that goal.
But if Ament is ultimately available outside of the top-10, he's not someone the Warriors can afford to entirely overlook. The talent and the physical attributes are there.
It would be a major gamble, but it's one Golden State should at least consider taking at 11th overall.
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