Where Felix Okpara, Ja'Kobi Gillespie are projected in new ESPN NBA mock draft

Nate Ament stayed put at No. 10 overall when ESPN updated its NBA mock draft this week, following the draft lottery, but Tennessee basketball players Felix Okpara and Ja’Kobi Gillespie traded places in the second round.

Okpara, who was previously projected to the be the No. 60 overall pick — the final pick in the draft — to the Washington Wizards, is now projected at No. 54 to the Golden State Warriors. 

Gillespie, who was listed at No. 57 overall to the Atlanta Hawks, moved down to No. 60 to the Wizards in the new mock draft. 

NBA Draft: June 23-24, Barclays Center, Brooklyn

Ament is projected to be the 10th pick to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the NBA Draft, which is set for June 23-24 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Ament averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 35 games during his freshman season at Tennessee, despite knee and ankle injuries suffered in late February derailing his late-season run. He started in all 35 games he played and averaged 29.7 minutes per game while shooting 39.9% from the field and 33.3% from the 3-point line.  

Gillespie averaged 18.4 points, 5.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 34.8 minutes per game while starting all 37 games in his one and only season at Tennessee. The Greeneville, Tenn., native started his career with two seasons at Belmont, then transferred to Maryland before his homecoming with the Vols as a senior last season. 

Okpara averaged 8.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 26.9 minutes per game this season, starting 34 of 35 games. He shot 59.7% from the field, 61.1% on 2-point shots and 63.5% at the foul line. He played two seasons at Ohio State before transferring to Tennessee and anchoring the Vols on defense, serving as the rim protector defensively and a rim runner on offense. 

Nate Ament ‘up an inch and 25 pounds’ over two years

Ament on Monday measured in at 6-foot-9.5 at the NBA Draft Combine, weighed in at 210.8 pounds, had a wingspan of 6-11.5 and a standing reach of 9-1.5, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. 

Gillespie measured at 5-11.75, weighed in at 181.8 pounds and had a wingspan of 6-4 and standing reach of 7-11.5.

“(Ament is) up an inch and 25 pounds over two years,” Givony wrote. “Some of the best measurements in his class, likely to intrigue every team picking 5-10.”

Givony watched Ament do draft prep last week in New York and noted his “projectable frame, fluidity and versatile skill set” makes it “easy to see why he’s a projected top-10 pick and the type of big wing NBA teams covet.”