The biggest development of the college basketball season took place Monday morning when the Dallas Mavericks hired Michigan’s Dusty May as the team’s new head coach, ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported.
May’s move to professional basketball could have major repercussions on former Tennessee center J.P. Estrella who transferred from Tennessee to Michigan earlier this offseason.
Estrella ranked third on Tennessee’s roster by averaging 10 points per games last season while also averaging 5.4 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-11 forward played in 33 games and started 13 games and was one of the Vols’ better offensive options.
The Maine native showed flashes of all-conference level play a season ago but never at the level of consistency that Tennessee would have liked. However, Estrella is still a relatively young player in terms of career minutes played and could be due for a breakout 2026-27 season.
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Where will that potential breakout season be with May making the move to Dallas? Estrella, and the rest of Michigan’s roster, will have five days to enter the transfer portal after Michigan officially hires May’s replacement.
While Estrella and other Michigan players could enter the portal, many rosters across the country are already full and even more have already allocated the vast majority of their financial resources in building their roster for next season.
Estrella had no shortage of suitors before landing at Michigan. Both Kansas and Louisville were rumored contenders to land one of the top big men in the transfer portal.
May leaves Ann Arbor after just two years, having led Michigan to an Elite Eight appearance in 2025 and the 2026 National Championship. The 49-year old May previously spent six years at Florida Atlantic, twice leading the Owls to the NCAA Tournament including the 2023 Final Four.
