Michigan lands transfer Moustapha Thiam as Aday Mara, Morez Johnson Jr. declare for NBA Draft

Michigan will likely lose two pieces from its men’s basketball national championship team while also adding a key transfer that could help the Wolverines defend their title.

Center Moustapha Thiam, whom Rivals ranked as one of the top five players still available in the transfer portal, committed to Michigan on Friday. The 7-foot-2 center averaged 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 31 games last season for Cincinnati. As a freshman with UCF, Thiam led the Big 12 with an average of 2.6 blocks per game.

Thiam’s commitment comes at an ideal time for head coach Dusty May, announced on the same day that center Aday Mara declared for the 2026 NBA Draft.

Mara, 7-foot-2, plans to maintain his college eligibility, according to the Detroit Free Press. However, he’s expected to be a lottery selection in the upcoming draft. Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor projects him as the final lottery pick in his latest mock draft, going No. 14 overall.

During his lone season at Michigan, Mara averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 points and 2.6 blocks in 40 games, which earned him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. In the Wolverines’ 91-73 win over Arizona in the Final Four, Mara scored a career-high 26 points with nine rebounds and two blocks.

Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. also declared for the NBA Draft on Friday. Like Mara, he intends to maintain his college eligibility. But the 6-foot-9 forward may return to Ann Arbor if he’s not among the top 20 selections in the first round. Yahoo’s mock draft currently projects him as the No. 24 pick.