I have long been of the belief that the Washington Wizards should draft whoever they believe to be the best player available with their first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. However, Bub Carrington’s recent run of form has me thinking differently.
Over his last six games since re-entering the starting lineup, Carrington is averaging 17.0 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds while shooting 42.9% from three. Not only is Carrington racking up counting stats, but he is contributing to wins. Two of the Wizards’
five wins on the season have come during Carrington’s six-game hot streak as the team’s starting point guard.
While Wizards fans are understandably conflicted about the wins, with each victory potentially impacting the team’s lottery odds and decreasing the chances of a higher first round pick, it is a very positive sign to see Carrington turning things around from his slow start and looking like a foundational piece. If Carrington can keep this up, the Wizards should not take a point guard at the top of the draft unless Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson falls to them after the third pick. So, if the Wizards fall out of the top three, I would lean towards the team avoiding Louisville freshman point guard Mikel Brown Jr. or Houston freshman point guard Kingston Flemings and instead focus on the many wings/forwards in that next tier of players.
One of those players who the Wizards could look at outside the top three who would complement the young potential foundational pieces already on the team, Carrington, Kyshawn George, Alex Sarr and Tre Johnson, is Nate Ament.
Nate Ament, 6’10” freshman forward from Tennessee
It is easy to see why Nate Ament, who has been projected as a top-10 pick from the earliest 2026 mock drafts, has a skillset and frame that is tantalizing to NBA talent evaluators. At 6’10”, Ament has the size to play either forward position. He has the athleticism to guard smaller wings and guards. It also seems like he has recently put on some strength and could even hold his own as a small-ball five.
Through the first 12 games of his collegiate career, Ament has produced at a very high level and has led Tennessee to a 9-3 record with a win over then-No. 3 Houston and a No. 19 ranking in the most recent AP Top 25. He is averaging 15.2 points, 2.8 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 30.4% from three and 38.0% from the field. Ament’s best game of the season came against an early matchup against Northern Kentucky, where he had 25 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals, shot 2-4 from three and 9-10 from the free throw line.
Ament started the season on a tear, but has cooled down over the last few games. Through his first eight games, he was averaging 17.9 points. Over the last four, including back-to-back losses to Syracuse and Illinois, he has been averaging 10.3 points. Ament’s cold streak, along with his shot decisions that have contributed to his inefficient percentages, have led to him becoming a rather polarizing NBA prospect. I personally think that the positives far outweigh the negatives. The decision making surrounding his shot attempts is something that can be coached out. I would also expect the bad shots to decrease at the next level when he has fewer offensive responsibilities. Right now, Ament and senior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie are scoring the majority of Tennessee’s points. In the NBA, Ament should be able to be able to start off as more of a complementary scorer and point forward.
I am also concerned about Ament’s lack of shot blocking so far. Despite his 6’10” frame, he has only blocked two shots this season. This may be more difficult to fix, but Ament has shown that he can still be an effective defender without necessarily impacting shots at the rim. He has 1.4 steals per game and is first in the SEC in defensive win shares.
While his 30.4% three point shooting rate is not elite, Ament has a very fluid shot and high release that allows him to get it off over almost any defender. That, along with a tight handle, elite footwork, playmaking vision and his ability to change speeds while driving to the rim give Ament one of the most fascinating offensive profiles we have seen from a freshman at the collegiate level.
The most common and easiest NBA comparison for Ament is Atlanta Hawks second-year forward and 2024 first overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. If everything pans out, I could also see his ceiling being similar to Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner, who averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists last season. I also see some of Kyle Anderson’s game in Ament with his advanced footwork, playmaking and the way he can manipulate speeds and catch defenders off balance.
There is definitely some risk associated with Ament. His streaky start to his collegiate career and poor shooting numbers are concerning, but there is so much potential. It is easy to see how Ament could fit with the Wizards and become a point forward with 20 point-per-game upside.
