One of the biggest storylines on the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline date was what would happen to the top players who entered the transfer portal? Michigan forward commit Yaxel Lendeborg is coming back for them, while Jamir Watkins and Big East Player of the Year guard RJ Luis each elected to stay in the draft.
Those were two of the top players available in the transfer portal, striking a big blow to teams still looking to add starting-caliber rosters for the 2025-26 season. This makes the undisputed best player left in the transfer portal, Desmond Claude, the player who is coming off averaging 15.8 ppg and 4.2 apg with the USC Trojans.
The recruitment storylines involving Claude have been interesting. At first, it looked as if the Florida Gators were going to land him, before they pivoted to land Arkansas transfer guard Boogie Fland. Two other teams that were reportedly in the mix were Alabama and Gonzaga. However, between the Bulldogs landing Tyon Grant-Foster from the transfer portal and the Crimson Tide getting a surprise return from guard Labaron Philon, they likely won’t be involved with Claude going forward.
So, who does that leave? A new report from Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman involves the Washington Huskies and two new teams in Oregon and Tennessee. The Vols are a long-shot lawsuit win away from getting Zakai Zeigler back for a 5th year, but that’s unlikely, so it makes sense why they would get involved late. Plus, Oregon could use another guard to pair with Jackson Shelstad, and they could use a proven Big Ten performer like Claude to move up the conference ladder and contend for a top spot.
With clarity from the NBA Draft decisions, Claude stands out as the top player left in the portal. Expect teams to get more serious with him, potentially bringing other teams into the fold. It looks to be a wide-open recruitment now, with few other great options available.