Can Michigan players enter transfer portal with Dusty May leaving for Mavericks?

Not even three months removed from winning the 2026 Men’s NCAA Tournament, Michigan men’s basketball is looking for a new coach.

Dusty May, who won the title in just his second year coaching in Ann Arbor, will take the head coaching position of the Dallas Mavericks, a team that went 26-56 amid a 12th-place finish in the Western Conference in 2025-26. That said, the Mavericks have building blocks for success, including a top-10 pick in a loaded 2026 NBA Draft class and 2025-26 Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg.

Why is Dusty May leaving Michigan? What we know of new Dallas Mavericks coach

Dusty May salary, buyout: Michigan coach contract details, and what he said of extension

The question now is what is to happen with the players remaining on Michigan’s roster. While some players, such as Aday Mara, Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr., have already declared for the draft as first-round selections, others will have the opportunity to leave Ann Arbor via the transfer portal — but not immediately.

Here’s what to know of the NCAA’s transfer rules, and when Wolverines players can transfer from Michigan:

Can Michigan basketball players transfer with Dusty May leaving?

Yes, NCAA rules allow for the creation of a special transfer portal window following a head coaching change. At that time, players can enter the portal and potentially sign with another team.

When can Michigan players enter the portal?

According to the NCAA on Jan. 14, 2026, the Division I Cabinet enacted immediate rules changes for the transfer portal, including those for a team going through a coaching change.

Per the NCAA:

When a head coaching change occurs, a 15-day period will open five days after the new head coach is hired or publicly announced. If a new head coach is not announced within 30 days of the previous head coach’s departure — and the 31st day after the head coach’s departure is after the championship game — a 15-day window will open. The additional head coach departure window is available only after the basketball transfer window opens through Jan. 2.

Five days after Michigan hires or publicly announces its hire, the 15-day transfer portal will open, allowing players to enter and potentially sign with a team. The 15-day window will open if the Wolverines are unable to make a hire within 30 days of May’s departure for the NBA.

That is separate from a 15-day transfer window that opens the day following the championship game, which in 2026 was on April 4.

Michigan basketball roster: Who did Michigan sign in transfer portal this offseason?

• Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati): 4-star | No. 13 player in portal | No.3 C

• J.P. Estrella (Tennessee): 4-star | No. 23 player in portal | No. 7 PF

• Jalen Reed (LSU): 4-star | No. 163 player in portal | No. 33 PF

Michigan basketball high school recruit rankings

Michigan’s 2026 high school recruiting class ranks No. 4 nationally and No. 1 in the Big Ten, according to 247Sports’ Composite rankings. Here’s who the Wolverines signed, including their national rank:

• Brandon McCoy Jr.: 5-star | No. 10 player nationally | No. 2 PG

• Quinn Costello: 4-star | No. 45 player nationally | No. 8 PF

• Lincoln Cosby: 4-star | No. 47 player nationally | No. 17 SF

• Joseph Hartman: 4-star | No. 97 player nationally | No. 12 SG

• Malachi Brown: 4-star | No. 148 player nationally | No. 46 SF

• Marcus Moller: International

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dusty May to Mavs: What’s next for Michigan players? Can they enter portal?