Rick Barnes has been hot in the transfer portal, and the Vols could be reaching extraordinary levels soon. In the meantime, it seems as if Barnes has also been recruiting his own roster hard and trying to keep freshman star Nate Ament around.
Latest Juke Harris update suddenly puts Tennessee and Rick Barnes in the driver's seat
Pete Nakos of On3 just dropped some big Nate Ament news. He said on The Drive, “I can confidently say that if Nate isn’t a lottery pick: Tennessee is extremely well-position to get him back next season,” said Nakos. “I guess the question, something that only Nate can answer, is what is the lowest he’s willing to go in the NBA Draft?”
On3’s Pete Nakos dropped a BOMB regarding Nate Ament’s future while on The Drive 🍊
— FOX Sports Knoxville (@FOXSportsKnox) April 15, 2026
“I can confidently say that if Nate isn’t a lottery pick: Tennessee is extremely well-position to get him back next season,” said Nakos. “I guess the question, something that only Nate can… pic.twitter.com/GMrwL6Kx68
Nate Ament could come back to the Vols next year
This is somewhat surprising, but also not entirely unexpected. In every interview, Nate Ament has spoken very highly of Rick Barnes and how much he values the Tennessee program. With this year’s draft class being so loaded, his stock has taken a slight hit amid the depth of talent available.
Right now, his draft stock is right in that range, with Yahoo projecting him at No. 10 overall and CBS having him at No. 12. So yes, he’s currently viewed as a lottery pick, but the question is whether he’s willing to take the risk of entering the draft at that position.
There's no doubt Ament has a ton of talent and an NBA future, but he could also benefit from another year of college basketball to work on his game and develop physically. If I had to guess, Ament will declare for the draft and have the option to come back and use up all the necessary information NBA teams give him as we approach draft day, and he will decide what's best for him.
If Nate Ament returns, Tennessee instantly becomes a top-10 team. And if the Vols can also land Jalen Haralson and Juke Harris, they could have a legitimate case to be the No. 1 team in the preseason polls. Ament has long said he wants to bring Rick Barnes and Tennessee a Final Four, and he would have a real chance to deliver on that goal.
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