Worldwide Sports News

Not even three months removed from winning the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament, Michigan men's basketball is looking for a new coach.

Dusty May, who won the title in just his second year coaching in Ann Arbor, will take the head coaching position of the Dallas Mavericks, a team that went 26-56 amid a 12th-place finish in the Western Conference in 2025-26. That said, the Mavericks have building blocks for success, including a top-10 pick in a loaded 2026 NBA Draft class and 2025-26 Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg.

Opinion: Days before leaving, Dusty May sounded all-in at Michigan. Then, poof!

Why is Dusty May leaving Michigan? What we know of new Dallas Mavs coach

The question now is what is to happen with the players remaining on Michigan's roster. While some players, such as Aday Mara, Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr., have already declared for the draft as first-round selections, others will have the opportunity to leave Ann Arbor via the transfer portal — but not immediately.

Here's what to know of the NCAA's transfer rules, and when Wolverines players can transfer from Michigan:

NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Collins will posthumously be honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for his impact on LGBTQ+ visibility in pro sports at The ESPYS in July.

Collins was the NBA's first openly gay player who went on to become a pioneer for inclusion and an ambassador for the league. The 13-year center died May 12 of a brain tumor at age 47.

Before his death, Collins publicly shared his cancer journey and spoke openly about his prognosis in hopes of advancing understanding and helping others facing similar diagnoses.

The Ashe award is given to a person who has made a difference beyond the field of play by fighting for what they believe in. It will be accepted by Collins' twin brother, Jarron.

"It is profoundly bittersweet but deeply meaningful to accept the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage on my brother’s behalf, celebrating a legacy of visibility, strength, and love that will endure forever,” Jarron Collins said in a statement.

Among the past recipients of the Ashe Award are the USA Gymnastics sexual abuse survivors, NBA player Kevin Love, the U.S. Women’s national soccer team, former NFL player Steve Gleason, and NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson.

Hosted by “Saturday Night Live” comic Marcello Hernández, The ESPYS will air July 15 on ABC from New York. The show will also stream on ESPN+.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

During the last decade the Jazz have had their fair share of hits and misses in the draft. Today we take a look back at the best, and worst of these picks, tomorrow the Jazz will make their most important selection in franchise history. 

Best:

Donovan Mitchell

In 2017 the Jazz made one of the best decisions in franchise history and traded Trey Lyles and 24th overall pick to move up to 13th and select Mitchell. In his 5 seasons in Utah he was a three time All-Star, runner up for rookie of the year, (thanks Ben Simmons)  winner of the 2018 Dunk Contest, and made the play-offs every year. Although the furthest the team ever made it during this span was a Western Conference Semifinals appearance it was still a very entertaining time to be a Jazz fan, and Mitchell was the main reason why.  

Walker Kessler

Though technically drafted by the Grizzlies I’m going to include Kessler here anyway because he was immediately traded to the Jazz, and because he deserves all the love from the fan base, especially in the midst of contract negotiations. At the time there was very little excitement about Kessler, and the main focus of the trade was on the draft picks involved, but Kessler quickly proved himself as an extremely talented starting level center. His first three seasons in Utah he averaged 2+ blocks per game, and probably would have done so again if his season hadn’t ended prematurely due to a shoulder injury. Going into this offseason Kessler is a restricted free agent and the Jazz will look to negotiate a deal to keep him here longterm. He also seemed to add a new skill to his game as he shot 6-8 (75%) from deep this season. While it’s obviously a very small sample size, his shooting form looked solid, and it could make him an even bigger threat on offense if he can be a 30ish% shooter from three. 

Keyonte George 

If not for the 65 games played rule Keyonte would’ve firmly been in the running for the Most Improved Player Award. Picked 16th overall in 2023, the Jazz got an absolute steal. Before injuries and tanking slowed him down, he was averaging 24 points, and six assists per game, while also averaging a steal per game for the first time in his career. It will be so exciting to see how Keyonte will look on a team that is trying to compete next year. 

Ace Bailey

After so much pre-draft drama surrounding the Jazz’s selection of Bailey 5th overall, he showed that the Jazz absolutely made the right call when drafting him. He looked every bit like the explosive highflying player that he was projected to be. Additionally he still hasn’t celebrated his 20th birthday yet, so he’s really only scratched the surface of his potential. It will be interesting to see if he will remain in the starting lineup after the Jazz add a blue chip player in this year’s draft. My guess would be that he will remain a starter and have an even better second year in the league.  

Isaiah Collier

Collier was another certified draft steal when he was selected 29th in the 2024 draft. Since coming to the Jazz he has been a true floor general, even breaking John Stockton’s rookie assist record. Another thing that stands out about Collier is his speed, when he attacks the rim at full speed, not many other players can keep up with him. This most recent season his jumpshot also looks to have improved. 

Worst: 

Cody Williams

I almost couldn’t bring myself to include Williams on this list, but I did my best to set my biases aside. To put it bluntly Williams appeared to be unplayable at times as a rookie. He lacked an NBA body and shot a putrid 32.3% from the field. There were so many times during his rookie year that he would become a ghost on the floor, but what a difference a year can make. Williams put in a ton of effort during the offseason, and gained 13 pounds. His confidence also grew considerably, and he took on a much more aggressive playstyle, and looked like a different player. If he can take a year three leap, he will find himself off of this list. 

Taylor Hendricks

Hendricks finds himself on this list for reasons completely outside of his control. A gruesome leg injury just 3 games into his sophomore season greatly derailed his development. In his third year as a Jazzman he could never really find his footing on the team. Since then he was included in the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, and has looked like a different player. The change of scenery seemed to be exactly what Hendricks needed, as in his 26 games in Memphis he averaged 10.6 points and 4.7 rebounds. Hopefully he can continue to develop with more consistent playing time, and a more stable role. 

John Tonje

Is it really fair to include a player taken 53rd overall who was traded before he ever even appeared in an NBA game? Probably not, but I’m going to do it anyway because I have a horrible feeling that the Celtics will turn him into a decent player, and I wanted to put this prediction out there just in case I end up being correct. Other players that I could have included in this spot are: Nigel Williams-Goss, Justin Wright-Foreman, or Joel Bolomboy. Those three combined played just 26 games for the Jazz.

Grayson Allen

Allen was the Jazz’s lone selection in the 2018 draft, and after just his rookie year he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Mike Conely deal. Since then Allen has really come into his own as a player. He’s shown that he can be a real contributor on a playoff team. This past season was his most impressive, as he posted career highs in points, assists, and steals. 

Udoka Azubuike 

Azubuike was selected 27th overall in 2020, unfortunately his NBA career got off to a horrible start as he suffered a serious ankle injury in a G-League game. After that he could never really stay healthy and only played in 68 games during his 3 year Jazz tenure. When he was on the court however he was awful. He couldn’t defend, he was slow, and he was the least talented offensive player I have ever seen in a Jazz jersey. Jeff Withey had more of an offensive bag than Azubuike did. After a 16 game stint in Phoenix, he was out of the NBA. Currently he plays for the Israeli Basketball Premier League.

The college basketball coaching carousel is back open.

Michigan coach Dusty May is leaving Ann Arbor and the Big Ten to become the next Dallas Mavericks coach in the NBA, USA TODAY Sports has confirmed.

May leaves for the NBA and the Mavericks — where he'll coach former Duke standout and 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg — after leading the Wolverines to one of the more dominant national championship runs in recent memory last season.

REQUIRED READING: Dusty May leaves Michigan to be Dallas Mavericks coach

In two seasons at Michigan, May led the Wolverines to a 64-13 overall record, a pair of Big Ten championships, including a conference tournament title in 2025, and the program's first national championship in nearly four decades.

May, who broke onto the scene as one of the top college coaches in the nation when he led Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023, has been in talks with Michigan for a contract extension since the start of the NCAA tournament. He had even spoken openly about his intentions to stay in Ann Arbor and further build the Wolverines into a powerhouse.

Here's what to know on May's contract details at Michigan, and a look back at some of his past comments regarding his contract extension talks with the Wolverines:

Former Michigan men's basketball coach Dusty May is leaving for the NBA after leading the Wolverines to a national championship.

May, who just concluded his second season with the program, is finalizing a deal with the Dallas Mavericks. The news comes a day before the first round of the NBA Draft on June 23.

Dusty May salary, buyout: Michigan coach contract details, and what he said of extension

May will lead the Mavericks into a new era, led by former No. 1 overall pick and rookie of the year Cooper Flagg. May replaces Jason Kidd as coach, and Dallas also recently hired former Raptors executive Masai Ujiri as the team's president.

Gary Harris picked up his $3.8 million player option to remain with the Bucks next year, Spotrac’s Keith Smith reported on Monday; the 31-year-old combo guard had until June 29 to pick up the option. This was widely expected, given it’s extremely unlikely that Harris would have had better offers on the table if he declined the option and entered unrestricted free agency.

Harris inked a two-year, $7.4m contract—with the second year a player option—before the 2025/26 season after leaving the Orlando Magic. Originally meant to bring in guard depth, veteran leadership, and steady three-point shooting, Harris averaged a career-low 2.7 PPG, along wth 1.3 RPG and 1.1 APG on .442/.412/.889 shooting splits. In 48 appearances, he averaged just 13.8 minutes per contest.

When he returns to Milwaukee for his 13th NBA season—assuming the Bucks don’t just waive his contract and pay him out, which could well happen—his biggest challenge will be remaining on the court. Harris struggled to break into the Bucks’ guard rotation at the start of the season and was sidelined by nagging groin and hamstring injuries towards the end.

Dusty May just led the Michigan Wolverines to one of the most dominant national championship runs in the recent history of men’s college basketball. Now he’s ready for his next step after making a stunning decision to jump to the NBA on Monday afternoon.

The Dallas Mavericks have hired May as the franchise’s next head coach in a move that sends shockwaves around both college and pro hoops. The Mavs lured May away from Ann Arbor with the chance to coach Cooper Flagg at the start of his career. Dallas also has the No. 9 and No. 30 overall picks in the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday, and three Wolverines players are expected to be lottery picks in Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara, and Morez Johnson.

May is 49 years old, and felt destined to be one of college basketball’s top coaches for the next 15 years. This is a major first move from the Mavs’ new braintrust of Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz. Ujiri built the Toronto Raptors 2019 championship team, and was hired as Dallas’ new president earlier this offseason. Schmitz came over from the Portland Trail Blazers to be the team’s new GM after building his reputation as a razor-sharp draft analyst for ESPN.

May built an incredible Michigan team through the transfer portal by bringing together three de facto bigs and teaching them to play together. His teams are typically slightly better on the defensive end of the floor. Michigan finished with the No. 1 defense in America this year, as well as the No. 4 offense. It will be fascinating to see if he continues to lean into supersized lineups in the NBA.

The real intrigue for May is the opportunity to coach Flagg, who just won NBA Rookie of the Year. Flagg is perhaps the best young building block in the NBA after Victor Wembanyama, and he doesn’t even turn 20 years old until December. The Mavs are building around Flagg, and May will be the person leading his development.

May has a cool and calm demeanor that resonates well with players, and should continue to work in the NBA. He deserves to be seen as a great developmental coach after turning Lendeborg, Johnson, and Mara into lottery picks this past season when none of them were projected in that range at the start of the year. It feels like he has the ideal mentality to be an NBA coach, but life is always tough in the Western Conference, even with Cooper Flagg on your side.

The history of college coaches jumping to the NBA is a mixed bag. Larry Brown won a national championship at Kansas in 1988, and then won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. Brad Stevens took Butler to the title game in college basketball before becoming a fantastic head coach (and later lead executive) for the Boston Celtics. Billy Donovan won two national championships at Florida, and then jumped to the NBA where he had a solid pro career but never won a championship. There are also some busts, like John Calipari and Rick Pitino, who made the leap to the NBA and then went back to college after failing.

I followed Michigan during its national championship at the Big Ten tournament, Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, and Final Four and national championship. I came away so impressed with May in terms of his leadership, demeanor, and schematic ability. May knew he was likely never going to have another team as good as his 2026 group again. Building through the transfer portal and fundraising NIL dollars every year is incredibly stressful. I can absolutely see the appeal of this move to the NBA for both sides.

In the end, this is about the opportunity to coach Cooper Flagg, who is already excellent at 19 years old. The Mavs also reportedly considered Duke coach Jon Scheyer and some former NBA coaches like Terry Stotts, but May offers the most upside to me because of his youth and pedigree. The Mavs swung for the fences with their first big decision of the Ujiri era, and I think they hit it out of the park.

NBA success is far from guaranteed for May. It’s going to be a big adjustment to leap to the pros. The Mavs don’t need to win right away, though. They’re on Flagg’s timeline. May can grow alongside Flagg, and I think he has the smarts and the temperament for the job long-term. What a move by the Mavs.

Mavs grade for Dusty May hire: A