Any possibility of Ament returning for 2nd year?

#2
#2
I don't know the financial optics, but I believe he is slated for around draft pick ~ 10 this year. Would it be worth $4M - $5M to come back for one year and push his stock to top 3 next year? What's the impact from 10 the previous year to 3 the next?

We may not see happen now, but I bet we see this from players in the future.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Smokey19rt, brockytop and Just a VolinTears
#3
#3
I cannot remember but a news agency stated he would be in the G League for 2-3 years. Initially I say no and he will sign a decent contract regardless of his status. As a result I would say he moves on.
 
#4
#4
Very good question.
What is the delta between say top 3 and someone picked around 10th?

According to Google / Gemini, the 25-26 salary projection for the 3rd pick is 9.3 mill while the 10th pick is 6.2, which is a 12 million dollar difference over a 4yr rookie contract.

Look at it under those optics, and it may make sense to come back one more year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: albedo33, TrumpedUpVol and Just a VolinTears
#7
#7
Sudden Impact said:
I cannot remember but a news agency stated he would be in the G League for 2-3 years. Initially I say no and he will sign a decent contract regardless of his status. As a result I would say he moves on.
Click to expand...
He’s not going to be in the G-League. He will most likely go top 10 and sign a deal worth at least $6 million per year and a 4th option year at $8+ million. Those options almost always get picked up as long as he’s developing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 08Vol and knoxvol52
#13
#13
mcnabbvolunteer said:
With NIL money and needing to gain body mass and strength is there any possibility of a 2nd year @ Tennessee?
Click to expand...
I laid out a possible hypothetical in another thread that makes it at least a viable talking point, though I still don't believe he'll seriously entertain it.

There is some additional commentary from others in that thread, too.

The Official “Regular Posters of the Basketball Forum” Thread

I don’t think he’d be wise to come back, but you mentioned not knowing about the 2027 class. Supposedly it’s like 2024 levels of weak (I’ve looked into this bc the grizzlies have three FRPs in that draft). So that would be one point in favor of him returning This year is kind of a freak draft...
www.volnation.com www.volnation.com

cncchris33 said:
Just for the sake of argument, let's say he is the 8th pick in the draft, this year (about where he is projected). Last year, that draft slot paid $31.3 mil over 4 years.

Does sticking around another year and making $4-5ish mil in NIL jump his stock to a top-3 pick in a weaker draft class? For example, the 3rd overall pick paid $50.4 mil over 4 years.

That's a $23-24 million difference in NIL and total rookie contract value, which is obviously significant.

Again, not making an argument that he should do it, but I think you could argue there is some merit in the idea.

And not that it is the deciding factor, but it would also put him halfway, at least, towards a degree. For some kids and families, that is important. For others (most), not so much.

In the end, he's 99.9% going pro and no one will blame him one bit, certainly not me. For every reason imaginable that we could give for him to return, we can name five reasons he shouldn't.
Click to expand...
 
  • Like
Reactions: LibertyVol
#14
#14
Forgive me, I'm not an expert on NIL deals. But the risk of injury is a real threat for any player and is always used in the "should he come back" argument.

Can NIL structure an Insurance Policy in the event a player gets hurt in situations like these? Obviously it'd only be in these 1 and done type situations.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zues1
#20
#20
I don't think he automatically gets 4 million to return. They say the majority of this years money comes from a shoe deal with Adidas because UT is a top client. I don't know how that works exactly but it sounds like a one time deal. He will book his money and expand on that later. Bird in hand.
 
#22
#22
All the other talent coming out this year is probably going to put Ament somewhere around 5 spots lower than where he’d be selected in a normal draft, but still not enough to keep him in college with everything considered.
 
#25
#25
Don't know if he stays or goes, but here is a breakdown of what scouts might be looking for from Ament in the tournament.
First-round opponent: Miami (OH) or SMU | Potential second-round opponent: Virginia or Wright State

Ament is another player who scouts desperately want a final look at in high-level competitive settings, even after many saw him up close again at the SEC tournament. Ament has consistently brought offense to the Volunteers — he averaged 19 points as a 6-foot-10 playmaker in conference play — by getting to the foul line an obscene amount of times. The freshman averaged eight free-throw attempts in SEC play, and in the conference tournament, he got there 12 times in the loss to Vanderbilt and 13 times in the win over Auburn.

However, scouts are split on whether his style of play will work early on in his NBA career if the jumper does not continue to grow. He clearly has touch — he made 40 percent of his 3s on the AAU circuit last summer and hit nearly 80 percent of his foul shots this year. But his mechanics have been wonky this year and have given scouts pause on how long it will take him to actualize that potential. His lack of strength has also been a significant issue as a driver and finisher; he made just 42.7 percent of his field-goal attempts, including a remarkably low 41.9 percent of his attempts at the rim despite his height and length.

A second-round matchup with Virginia would be particularly spicy, as the Cavaliers have a ready-made, physical, on-ball matchup for him in 22-year-old Thijs de Ridder, a 6-foot-9 forward who will eventually get an NBA look. They also have a two-headed rim protection monster in Ugonna Onyenso and Johann Grunloh, both of whom are in the top 10 nationally in block rate. Can Ament score against that kind of NBA-style length and rim protection? It will be a great test for him if the Vols and Virginia get that far.

The Athletic
 
New Posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

Advertisement



Back
Top