ESPN Projects Three Tennessee Basketball Players to Shine in Upcoming NBA Draft

At the end of the 2025-26 NBA season, the New York Knicks secured their first championship since 1973 by defeating the San Antonio Spurs in five games. With the NBA Finals over, the league has turned its attention to next week's NBA Draft. ESPN's Jeremy Woo has released his latest full, 60-pick mock draft, featuring three Tennessee basketball players projected to hear their names called.

According to the mock draft, the Milwaukee Bucks will select wing Nate Ament with the No. 10 pick, the Miami Heat will select point guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie with the No. 41 pick, and the San Antonio Spurs will select center Felix Okpara with the No. 42 pick.

Nate Ament, a 6-foot-10 forward, had a standout freshman season at Tennessee, averaging 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 39.9% from the field, 33.3% from three-point range, and 79% from the foul line. He improved significantly as the season progressed, averaging 19 points and six rebounds per game in 16 SEC games.

Gillespie, a 6-foot guard, had a memorable one-season stint at Tennessee, averaging 18.4 points per game on 41% shooting from the field and 34% shooting from three-point range. He also averaged 5.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game while setting Tennessee's single-season steal record with 79 steals.

Okpara has flown up draft boards after a strong showing at the NBA combine. The 7-foot center had a senior season where he averaged 8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. He excelled in guard-guard matchups and gave the Vols the versatility they craved with their aggressive, often-switching ball screen defense.

Ten Tennessee basketball players have been selected in the NBA Draft during Rick Barnes' tenure, including four first-round selections. The 2026 NBA Draft will take place on June 23-24 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.