Nate Ament looks ahead of schedule in Milwaukee preseason opener

There’s been a lot of excitement about Brayden Burries hitting the ground running with the Milwaukee Bucks after his polished performance as an NCAA freshman, while fellow rookie Nate Ament was seen as more of a project. Ament certainly has room to improve, but the young rookie looked like he belonged in the NBA during his first preseason game.

Ament didn’t fill up the box score against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but managed to post 8 points and two rebounds in just under 14 minutes of action. Ament shot the ball efficiently, making two of his four shots from the field including his only three-point attempt, and converted on all three of the free throws he drew.

After the game, Ament was gratified to log his first NBA minutes even though it was an exhibition game.

“It was a dream come true,” Ament said. “It was something I’ve been waiting for ever since I picked up a basketball. I’m just very grateful to be able to finally make a debut even if it wasn’t a real game.”

Ament started fast, following a strong defensive closeout by running the floor and easily knocking down a three for his first NBA bucket.

Nate's first bucket was nothing but net. pic.twitter.com/Aq8ESufUCr
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 6, 2026

Soon after, Ament showed how he can help achieve coach Taylor Jenkins’ team goal of attacking the offensive glass by grabbing the board from a Kevin Porter Jr. miss and putting it back in for the basket plus an and-one free throw.

Ament and-one! 💪 pic.twitter.com/wnjvIoDzik
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 6, 2026

Outside of those few plays, Ament displayed a quiet competence, which is more of a compliment than it sounds like given he's a 19-year-old rookie. Granted, he didn’t check in until the third quarter when the Timberwolves regulars had sat for the night. Still, Ament displayed a comfort level that far exceeded most of his Summer League run.

When asked about what Jenkins has been working with him on specifically, Ament said his ability to contribute on defense along with making effort plays and grabbing offensive rebounds were areas of emphasis. Ament also said the speed of the game tired him by the end, although he “felt comfortable” overall.

“These guys in the NBA are the best of the best, so you’ve got to be very focused,” Ament said. “I think defensively [I can] make a better impact, crash the offensive glass, and then overall cohesiveness with the team, bringing that when I step onto the court.”

Any progress is welcome

We’re a long way from Ament truly proving himself in the NBA, especially given we’re still weeks away from Opening Night, but it’s encouraging to see him look like he belongs at the NBA level. More smooth play from Ament could fast track him to rotation minutes in Milwaukee.

It doesn't hurt his case that the Bucks started Kyle Kuzma and Jaime Jaquez Jr. at the two forward spots, and they combined to shoot 2/13 from the field.

The Bucks' goals are to build a culture and a core more than they are about winning games this season. Ament playing every night, if he continues to perform as well as he did on Monday, fits better with those goals on multiple levels than giving more burn to struggling veteran forwards.

Young players should have to earn their minutes, and Ament seems poised to do just that as he continues to develop this season.

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