Clippers Should Avoid Nate Ament Reach in the 2026 NBA Draft

The buzz around the 2026 NBA Draft has grown louder than ever. With only four days left before the big day, what the Los Angeles Clippers will do with their No. 5 pick remains one of the biggest questions.

Since the Clippers landed Indiana's pick in the NBA Draft Lottery, the expectation has been that they would draft one of the lead guards projected to go in the 5-10 range.

Between AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson, this is considered a four-player draft. This means that the Clippers, sitting at No. 5, already know who will be available on the board when they are on the clock. The consensus is that the next tier of players largely consists of high-upside guards like Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings, Brayden Burries, and Mikel Brown Jr.

The Clippers were expected to select one of these prospects, with Wagler and Brown considered the frontrunners. It turns out, however, that the Clippers are casting a wider net. In fact, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Tennessee forward Nate Ament is an option for LA.

Nate Ament Isn't What the Clippers Should Be Looking For With the No. 5 Pick

Ament told ESPN's SportsCenter that he has had an individual workout with only four teams: the Clippers, Nets, Thunder, and the Bulls. Stein confirmed his colleague Jake Fischer's reporting that Ament isn't expected to fall any lower than No. 10 on draft day.

The Clippers had individual workouts with six prospects considered locks to be first-round selections: Ament, Wagler, Brown, Flemings, Burries, and Yaxel Lendeborg. This obviously doesn't mean that LA will definitely select one of these players, since plenty of teams draft prospects without bringing them into their building.

But it means that the chances of the Clippers picking one of these prospects are higher than the rest of the draft class. While it's a good sign that the Clippers are doing their due diligence by casting a wide net, it would be a mistake to reach for Ament.

The six-foot-ten forward has the physical tools to be a prototypical, modern NBA wing. The upside is clearly there as he projects to be a solid shooter and defender. Yet, the rest of the game is nascent. Even his three-and-D skillset is in the early stages of development. He is a few years away from becoming a solid rotation player in the NBA.

If the Clippers were picking in late-lottery, taking a flier on Ament purely off his physical tools and skill set would be understandable. Using a top-five pick on such a raw prospect, however, is too risky.

LA may be hesitant to draft an on-ball lead guard because of Darius Garland's presence. Yes, a Garland-Mikel Brown Jr. backcourt fit may not be ideal in the long run, but that can't deter the Clippers from selecting the prospect with the highest upside. Where the Clippers are as a franchise requires them to bring in as much talent through the door as possible and figure out the rest later.

Selecting Ament doesn't align with that vision. The Clippers should let another team draft and develop him.

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