ASU head coach Bobby Hurley high-fives center Jayden Quaintance (21) as he comes to the bench during a game at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Jan. 25, 2025. Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hornets pass on Nate Ament for injured prospect in 2026 NBA mock draft

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 12:43 PM ET

The Charlotte Hornets are probably a year away from contention. They could be surprisingly good in 2025-26 with better health and a much better roster, but they lack the high-end talent (or centers) to actually be a contending team. They're undoubtedly going to end up back in the lottery again.

What should they do once they get there? The 2026 class is pretty deep as of now, and there are a couple of top-end prospects Charlotte might have their eye on, like Darryn Peterson, Nate Ament, AJ Dybantsa, or Cameron Boozer. In one early mock draft, they don't land any of those prospects.

Hornets surprise with Jayden Quaintance in 2026 mock draft

Based on Bleacher Report insider Jonathan Wasserman's latest 2026 mock, the Hornets land the fourth pick in the lottery, which sadly does preclude them from taking AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer.

They could grab Nate Ament, though. However, Wasserman predicts they'll pass on him and instead target a player who is currently not even healthy.

"Last February's ACL tears complicate projections for Jayden Quaintance. We don't know his return date, minutes workload, rustiness, desire to go pro or NBA teams' level of interest if he doesn't play much," Wasserman admitted.

The Kentucky power forward played 24 games as a 17-year-old last year, so scouts did get a look at his long-term potential. He is very young and won't turn 19 until the 2026 draft is over. With Arizona State, the forward averaged 9.4 points per game, shot 60% from inside the three-point line, and had a 9.8% block rate.

"While he still has to improve his shooting range and overall half-court creation, he'll offer the type of functional physical tools, instincts and potential skill set that can translate to scoring efficiency and a special defensive impact in the NBA," Wasserman.

With Miles Bridges and Tidjane Salaun, the Hornets don't currently have a long-term, high-end option at the power forward. Bridges is undersized and inefficienc, and Salaun may not even be an NBA player. Still, it's tough to swallow passing on someone like Ament or even Koa Peat for someone with such a major injury already.