Nate Ament and the Weight of Durant Comparisons
Ament’s size and skill ensure intrigue, but the KD label may be more curse than blessing.
Every few years, a tall, wiry, sharpshooting forward emerges who inevitably gets placed under the impossible shadow of Kevin Durant. The basketball world sees the slim frame, the smooth jumper, and the ability to score in bunches, and instantly the comparisons begin.
Last year, that player was Ace Bailey, who went No. 5 overall to Utah. In 2024, it was Zaccharie Risacher, the French wing Atlanta took with the top pick. In 2023, it was Brandon Miller, drafted third by Charlotte. And going back further, in 2016 it was Brandon Ingram who fit the mold and drew similar comparisons. All of them, in some way or another, were stamped as “the next KD.” None of them are. And truthfully, no one ever will be.
Durant’s résumé alone makes the comparison unfair. As a freshman at Texas under Rick Barnes, Durant averaged 25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists — one of the most dominant debut seasons in NCAA history. He became the first freshman ever to win a national player of the year award, sweeping the Wooden Award, the Naismith, and virtually every other honor available. He’s since built a legacy as a 15-time All-Star, four-time scoring champion, two-time NBA champion, and two-time Finals MVP. To compare any teenager to that standard borders on ridiculous.
And yet, here comes Nate Ament — this year’s “next Durant.”
Why the Comparisons Exist
The parallels between Nate Ament and Kevin Durant are easy to spot. Ament stands 6’9” with a 6’11” wingspan, a lean frame, and a fluid jumper that already projects him as a modern NBA stretch-forward prototype. His shooting comes effortlessly, with the ability to score both off the catch and off the dribble, a skill set that has made similar prospects lottery picks in recent years.
Adding to the intrigue is the Rick Barnes connection. Nearly two decades ago, Durant played his lone college season under Barnes at Texas before launching into NBA superstardom. Ament has now chosen Barnes’ Tennessee Volunteers as his stage, creating a historical echo that’s hard to ignore — even if their trajectories will almost certainly diverge.
Ament’s résumé only amplifies the buzz. A five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American, he secured a shoe deal with Reebok and became just the third top-five recruit in Tennessee history, joining Tobias Harris and Allan Houston. Few freshmen enter college basketball with this combination of pedigree, visibility, and expectation, which only strengthens the tendency to link him to Durant, whether fairly or not.
A Shooter by Trade
At his core, Nate Ament is a shot-maker. During his run with Team Loaded VA on the Adidas circuit, he knocked down 40% of his jumpers overall, including 39% on catch-and-shoot attempts and 41% off the dribble, per Synergy Sports Tech. The film matches the numbers: his compact mechanics, soft release, and deep range give him one of the cleanest strokes in the 2025 freshman class. His 85% free-throw shooting further reinforces that his touch is the real deal.
That shooting ability naturally bends defenses. Ament’s gravity creates driving lanes, allows him to attack closeouts, and helps him generate fouls at a respectable rate. While he’s not an elite creator off the bounce, his handle is ahead of where Bailey and Risacher were at the same stage, though still short of Brandon Miller’s level. He’s capable of getting into his own offense, but the result too often ends in contested jumpers rather than clean finishes.
Areas for Growth
The biggest question with Ament is how much he can diversify beyond perimeter scoring. Despite his size and length, he has yet to prove himself as a reliable finisher around the basket. My concern with Ament is his ability to finish at the rim and consistently turn the corner. Whether it be because of a lack of strength or foot speed, Ament struggles to convert layups in the paint. According to Synergy, he shot only 41% on layups while playing for Team Loaded, and he managed just one assisted dunk in the halfcourt.
And that’s okay. Ament has very good touch and will need to be selective on his drives. Still, his lack of burst lowers his offensive ceiling, making him more comparable to Jabari Smith Jr. or Keegan Murray than any “store-brand Kevin Durant.” This issue stems less from skill and more from his physical profile. Until he adds strength and explosiveness, creating consistent rim pressure will remain a challenge. For now, his offensive identity looks closer to that of a high-level floor spacer than a true three-level scorer in the mold of Durant.
Secondary Skills and Positional Fit
Ament does bring more to the table than just shooting. He averaged 7.7 rebounds per game and chipped in 2.6 combined steals and blocks, flashing activity on the defensive end. Offensively, he’s comfortable pushing the ball in transition, operating in dribble handoffs, and keeping the ball moving within a system. Those traits, combined with his shooting, make him an easy plug-and-play fit in modern spacing-driven offenses.
There are questions about what position Ament plays, even as we are in the position-less basketball era. Often times teams put smaller defenders on Ament and lived with him taking and making contested jump shots. This same philosophy was seen in the McDonald’s All- American Game in Brooklyn where Ament struggled to beat smaller guys off the dribble. though he did find success drawing fouls. This is why I think Ament’s best position will likely be at the 4 rather than the 3 like the aforementioned branches of the Kevin Durant family tree.
When it comes to position, his long-term home is likely at the four. While some project him as a big wing, smaller defenders have had success pressuring him on the perimeter and forcing him into tough shots. Against power forwards, however, his handle and shooting ability make him a potential matchup problem. With added strength to his frame, Ament has the potential to use screening actions to exploit switches, punish smaller guards in the post, and create scoring opportunities in the mid-post — especially from the Dirk Nowitzki “kill spot,” where his footwork and touch already stand out.
The Big Picture
The appeal with Ament is straightforward: he’s a 6’9” forward who can flat-out shoot the basketball. In today’s NBA, that skill set alone makes him a projected lottery pick. Add in his feel for spacing, his rebounding commitment, and his clean mechanics, and it’s easy to see why scouts view him as a potential top-five selection.
But expectations need to stay realistic. He’s not Kevin Durant — no one is. Durant entered college as a generational athlete and scorer, capable of dominating every level of the floor from day one. Ament, by contrast, projects more as a high-level complementary piece who thrives next to stars rather than as the centerpiece himself.
If he continues to improve as a rim finisher and rounds out his physical tools, Ament has every chance to enjoy a long, productive NBA career. His size, shooting, and versatility fit the modern game perfectly — and that alone makes him one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2025 class.
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