Nate Ament won’t be in uniform for the Milwaukee Bucks when they open California Classic play on Saturday, even though the team used the 13th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on the 6-foot-10 wing last week.
Milwaukee is set to face the Golden State Warriors blue team at 4 p.m. ET, but Ament is not on the Bucks’ roster for any of their three games in California. The reason, according to reporting from Ben Steele of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, is simple: he is not officially a member of the Bucks yet.
That matters because Milwaukee acquired the 13th overall pick in a trade with Miami that sent star Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat. That deal will not become official until Monday, July 6.
Once the trade is finalized, Ament could be added to Milwaukee’s roster for the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. The California Classic and the Salt Lake City Summer League are limited events, but the full league takes part in the 11-day Las Vegas slate from July 9-19.
The Bucks are scheduled for four games in Las Vegas and could tack on more if they advance into the playoff portion of the event.
Ament arrives in the NBA after a strong freshman year at Tennessee. He averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, while shooting 39.9% from the field, 33.3% from beyond the arc and 79% at the line.
His production climbed as the season went on, and he was even more effective in SEC play. In 16 conference games, he put up 19 points and six rebounds per outing. He had 20 or more points in 11 games and reached a career-high 29 points in wins over Alabama and Ole Miss, as well as in a loss to Oklahoma.
Around the league, 18 of the NBA’s 30 teams have released their summer league rosters so far. Former Vols Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Zakai Zeigler and Igor Milicic Jr. are on the San Antonio Spurs roster, Tyreke Key is with the Toronto Raptors, Chaz Lanier is with the Detroit Pistons and Keon Johnson is with the Orlando Magic.
A few other former Tennessee players who finished elsewhere are also in the mix: Cam Carr is with the Los Angeles Lakers, B.J. Edwards is with the Sacramento Kings and Jonas Aidoo is with the Utah Jazz.
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