Dusty May to the NBA: Why Kansas Can Now Land Moustapha Thiam

Dusty May’s decision to leave Michigan for the Dallas Mavericks could give the Kansas Jayhawks another opportunity at landing Moustapha Thiam.

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Bill Self and the Kansas basketball coaching staff may have been granted a huge gift on Monday with the announcement that Michigan head coach Dusty May is leaving to take an NBA head coaching job with the Dallas Mavericks.

May recently led the Wolverines to the 2026 NCAA Championship over Arizona in April and was expected to have a roster worthy of competing for a repeat in 2027. Now, the Michigan roster may be in flux, and KU could be a potential beneficiary of the upheaval if Moustapha Thiam – one of their key transfer additions this offseason – hits the open market once again.

Thiam was one of the most coveted prospects available in the transfer portal this offseason after averaging 12.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Cincinnati last year. He shot 52.5% from the field and 28.8% from 3-point range for the Bearcats, earning him Honorable Mention All-Big 12 recognition at the end of the 2025-26 Big 12 season.

One of Thiam’s best performances of the year came against No. 8 KU in Allen Fieldhouse back in February when he exploded for 28 points and 8 rebounds while shooting nearly 65% (11-of-17) from the field and 40% (2-of-5) from behind the arc.

That performance must have stuck with Self because KU was one of the team’s often mentioned with Thiam’s recruitment once he decided to enter the transfer portal this offseason. However, he never ended up taking a visit to Lawrence and Kansas signed Charleston transfer Christian Reeves after missing out on Thiam.

Reeves’ commitment didn’t come with an excess of celebration from Jayhawk fans as his numbers and upside lack in comparison to Thiam and other centers that were available in the portal. And with sophomore Paul Mbiya’s lack of experience, the center position looks to be the biggest question mark on the roster ahead of the 2026-27 season.

That question could be answered if KU is able to make another push for Thiam should he decide to reopen his recruitment, which remains uncertain as Michigan is rumored to be naming assistant Mike Boynton Jr. (former Oklahoma State head coach) as interim head coach. He’s been on the Wolverines staff since April 2024 when May took the job at Michigan, and his promotion could potentially help mitigate an exodus of players leaving the program.

If Thiam was to transfer, he would have to wait until the 15-day transfer portal window opens five days following the program hiring or announcing the hire of a new head coach.