Nate Ament, a 19-year-old forward with Rwandan heritage, was selected by the Miami Heat with the 13th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday night at Barclays Center before his draft rights were traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The draft brings together all 30 NBA teams, with 60 players selected over two rounds based on standings from the previous season. The second round is scheduled for Thursday morning.
Ament played college basketball at the University of Tennessee, where he developed into one of the top college prospects in the United States. In the 2025-26 season, he averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game across 35 starts.
His standout performance came on Feb. 18, 2026, when he scored 29 points against Oklahoma. He also recorded 11 rebounds against Vanderbilt on March 13 and five assists against Mississippi on Feb. 11.
Tennessee has produced 58 NBA players in its history, and Ament becomes the 11th player from the program coached by Rick Barnes to be selected in the NBA Draft.
Born Dec. 10, 2006, in Woodbridge, Virginia, Ament is the son of former basketball player Albert Ament and Godelive Mukankuranga, a Rwandan who left Rwanda in 1994 with the assistance of UNICEF to continue her education in Italy.
Although raised in the United States, Ament visited Rwanda from Aug. 9–13, 2025. During the five-day visit, his third trip to his mother’s homeland—the young basketball player hosted youth basketball camps, met with Sports Minister Nelly Mukazayire, and took part in community activities.
Ament represented the United States at the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup, helping the team win the gold medal.
“My mom is the one who showed me that I can achieve my dreams. She taught me to never give up and to work hard,” Ament said after being drafted.
Ament is expected to join the Milwaukee Bucks ahead of the upcoming NBA season.
