Brooklyn Nets Have Eyes on two Front Court Prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft

Nate Ament or Aday Mara could don Brooklyn's black and white next season.

Mar 29, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Michigan Wolverines center Aday Mara (15) drives against Tennessee Volunteers forward Nate Ament (10) in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the Midwest Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly interested in Nate Ament and Aday Mara for their first-round selection in the 2026 NBA Draft. They currently hold the No. 6 pick.

In most mock drafts, both players are top 10 picks, but are rarely taken inside the top six. The Nets could look to move back towards the eighth or ninth overall pick and still grab one of these talented forward prospects. There's still a lot of time between now and the draft, so their preferences could easily change by the time selection night rolls around.

Nate Ament

Tennessee forward Nate Ament (10) walks off the court as Michigan players celebrate their Final Four berth behind him after an NCAA Tournament Elite 8 game between Tennessee and Michigan at the United Center in Chicago on March 29, 2026. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ament will be 19 years old on draft night, and the former five-star recruit has already shown the ability to develop throughout the course of a season. He averaged 14.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game through his first 15 college games, shooting 40% from the field and 27.4% from three.

In the final 20 games of Ament's freshman season at Tennessee, he averaged 18.2 points per game on 38.2% shooting from deep. His overall field-goal percentage, rebounds and steals per game went down, but he showed more versatility as a scorer.

He's not the strongest player at 6-foot-10, 210 pounds, but he’s gotten to the free-throw line at a high rate, a skill that tends to indicate success at the next level. Ament averaged over seven free throw attempts per game in his lone college season. He could challenge Noah Clowney for a starting spot as soon as his rookie season.

Aday Mara

Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines center Aday Mara (15) celebrates after cutting down a piece of the net after defeating the Connecticut Huskies in the national championship of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The Nets averaged the 23rd most blocks per game this season. Nic Claxton was the only eligible player who averaged more than a block per game. A priority in the offseason should be increasing team defense by any means necessary.

Mara averaged 2.6 blocks per game, which was the third most among Power Four players. He's going to be 21 years old on draft night and can immediately be impactful as a paint protector. His three college seasons –– two at UCLA and one as a national champion at Michigan –– constitute the fact that he can contribute to winning basketball.

He's got his flaws as a complete offensive prospect, but he went 12/25 on spot-up threes at the NBA Draft Combine, showing he may be able to develop a deep ball. Mara isn't someone who is going to be on high usage anyway. With Nic Claxton and Day'Ron Sharpe's futures up in the air, this selection could make even more sense.