Michigan State basketball: How much does a transfer center cost?

Michigan State basketball might just be landing a transfer center after all but how much do the elite ones in the portal cost?

NIL this, transfer portal that. At this point, I hear those words spoken so often by Michigan State basketball fans that it makes me want to hurl. It’s less about the actual sport and more about the money and movement.

‘He’s transferring where? They’re paying him how much?’

With that said, it’s the nature of the beast and I cannot avoid talking about it.

Probably the biggest offseason topic for Michigan State is focused on the center position. The weakest link for a team with national title aspirations last year. This offseason the only movement we’ve seen since getting bounced by UNC in the second round is senior Mady Sissoko transferring to Cal.

The centers left on the roster include juniors Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper. Oh and sophomore Xavier Booker and freshman Jesse McCulloch, kind of.

The fanbase has been vocal about their concerns this offseason. Head Coach Tom Izzo is reluctant to use the portal but has shown that he’ll cave for the right player (see Frankie Fidler, Tyson Walker, Joey Hauser).

Izzo, a vocal leader against the portal, appears to have faith in his current roster.

Let’s play a little game called: How much would a transfer center cost?

• Great Osobor – $2 million

BREAKING: Great Osobor, the top-available player in the transfer portal, has committed to Washington, George Langberg of GSL Sports Group told ESPN.

Osobor will be the highest-paid known player in college basketball, with 2 million dollars of NIL deals already in place. pic.twitter.com/W6EwRj65PC

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 13, 2024

• Oumar Ballo – $1 million
• Hunter Dickinson – $4 million (rumored tw0-year deal)
• Clifford Omoruyi – $2 million (committed to Alabama)

Realistically, Izzo and the MSU NIL collectives need to pony up $1 million at a minimum to land a portal center who is an upgrade from the guys currently on the roster. Heck, even AJ Hoggard was offered $800,000 to transfer to Vanderbilt and we all know what kind of a player he is.

As much as I would like for Izzo to work the portal to address the need, I just don’t see any way he’ll find a player who fits the program culture by having to spend. MSU is not a ‘bag’ school and maybe that’s a good thing. Program culture seems to have fallen by the wayside ever since ‘NIL’ and ‘portal’ became regular jargon. I just need Izzo to reinstate the war drill so we can get back to rebounding like Michigan State basketball teams of old.

It’s just frustrating seeing all these opposing teams get shiny new toys from the transfer portal.