The Milwaukee Bucks went into the offseason looking for help on the wing, and Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson were both on the radar. They didn’t land either one. That might not matter much if Nate Ament keeps trending the way he has.
For a rookie who wasn’t expected to play a major role right away, Ament has already become a nightly piece for Milwaukee. He’s averaging 7.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, numbers that don’t jump off the page on their own.
But the bigger picture matters here: Watson and Kuminga are more polished and producing better seasons, while Ament is still learning on the fly. Even so, he’s showing enough to make the Bucks feel good about the path they chose.
The offensive flashes are real. Ament has been aggressive around the rim, hitting 14 of his 17 shots in the restricted area.
He still has work to do in other spots - he’s just 1-of-6 in the paint outside the restricted area and 0-of-5 from mid-range - but that kind of uneven shot profile is part of the deal with a raw rookie. The encouraging part is that he looks more comfortable every game.
Defensively, he’s also earning trust. Taylor Jenkins has made it clear that defense will determine who gets meaningful minutes, and Ament has responded.
He’s still developing on that end, but he’s holding his own, and the numbers back that up: opponents are shooting 18-of-55 when he’s the primary defender, which comes out to 32.7 percent. That’s the kind of resistance coaches notice.
Milwaukee may have passed on a more expensive shortcut with Watson or Kuminga, but that would have come with a cost beyond the price tag. It could have slowed Ament’s growth. Instead, the Bucks have leaned into the long view, and early on, that looks like a smart call.
Jenkins has also shown he’s willing to give young players real responsibility. Brayden Burries has already cracked the starting five, and Ament’s role keeps growing. He has already moved ahead of Ousmane Dieng in the rotation, and it feels like he’s only going to keep climbing.
That leaves Kyle Kuzma as the name to watch. Milwaukee’s interest in Watson and Kuminga was tied to the possibility that either one could replace him.
Right now, Ament looks like the clearest candidate to take that spot. Whether it happens this month, next month, or next season, the rookie seems headed there if this progress keeps up.
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