The Latest on Michigan Basketball Transfer Target Juke Harris

Michigan basketball is still in the running to land the No. 1 player in the transfer portal.

Wake Forest guard Juke Harris visited Michigan last weekend during the Wolverines' national championship celebration. However, that trip to Ann Arbor came without a commitment as Michigan is battling it out with a pair of other schools to try to win him over.

According to a report from On3, it's Michigan, North Carolina and Tennessee in the battle to land the ACC's Most Improved Player from the 2025-26 season.

NEW: On3’s @PeteNakos breaks down the latest on Wake Forest star transfer guard Juke Harris👀

Michigan, Tennessee and North Carolina continue to battle..

Intel: https://t.co/eXTeA4JFjU pic.twitter.com/McCyYHmjMZ
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 14, 2026

As of Tuesday morning, On3's Pete Nakos reported that no team has emerged as the clear frontrunner and that Harris is also going through the NBA Draft process, which could slow down the timeline for a decision.

After Harris' visit with Michigan last Saturday, Harris held in-person visits with North Carolina and Tennessee.

Michael Malone was just hired as the new head coach at UNC and is looking to make a splash in year one, as Tennessee coach Rick Barnes is coming off three straight Elite 8 appearances and looking to take the Vols to the top of college basketball.

According to the On3 report, Michigan had confidence in where it stood with Harris following his visit to Ann Arbor as he seemed to buy into trying to help the Wolverines repeat as national champions.

But, Malone and Barnes continue to make a push and it's clear this is far from a done deal for the Wolverines and have major competition from UNC and Tennessee.

The On3 report also stated Harris is expected to land a deal upwards of $3 million in NIL for whatever program he ends up signing with.

Harris, a current sophomore, has spent two seasons at Wake Forest.

As a freshman last year, he averaged 19 minutes per game, scoring 6.1 points per contest with 2.8 rebounds per game.

This past season, Harris saw a huge jump in both minutes and production, playing 35 minutes per game and averaging 21.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists.

Last month, Harris was named the ACC's Most Improved Player after his scoring increase from last season was the highest of any Division I player. Additionally, the Salisbury, N.C. native was named a second-team All-ACC selection.

Juke Harris drives — March 10, 2026: Wake Forest Demon Deacons forward Juke Harris (2) drives into Virginia Tech Hokies guard Neoklis Avdalas (17) during the first half of the 2025 ACC Men's Baskeetball Championship at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC. (Scott Kinser) | (Scott Kinser)

In 2025-26, Harris became the first Wake Forest player since 1996-97 to score 30 or more points three different times against ACC opponents.

How heavily should Michigan pursue Harris?

While Michigan is a healthy program as it relates to Name, Image and Likeness and what they can offer, the Wolverines will likely be very careful about getting into any bidding wars to land any player.

As seen with Michigan's national title team, while some of the stars on the team were paid plenty of money, it's also vital to make sure a program has a collection of players that fit the system and what the coaches are asking for, which is what the Wolverines had this past season.

A collection of players giving up personal stats and sacrificing some minutes for the betterment of the team is ultimately what led to the Wolverines finding themselves on top of the sport.

Even when recruiting star Yaxel Lendeborg last offseason, Lendeborg previously told the AP that money was not the end all, be all in his decision. In fact, he said if he would have been worried about money alone, he would have played at Kentucky this past season, saying the Wildcats offered much more.

"What if I mess up my career because I chased the money instead of a future? Another big reason why I went with Dusty (May) was he didn’t talk about money at all. It was all about making me better and helping me achieve my goals," Lendeborg told the AP.

If Michigan does end up landing Harris, the staff will do a good job of making sure that he is going to play in a way that both enhances his strengths and growth as a player, while also being able to play within the Wolverines' structure that has led them to their winning ways.

Michigan head coach Dusty May stands at the podium as players look on during a celebration honoring the Wolverines’ NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026. | David Rodriguez Muñoz / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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