As the 2026 NFL Draft unfolds, Michigan basketball had another player declare for the NBA Draft − this one, a surprise.
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan's starting point guard in 2025-26 and the Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four, entered his name for the 2026 NBA Draft on Friday, April 24, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Free Press on condition of anonymity because they weren't permitted to speak publicly.
But fear not, the purpose of this entry is to gather intel and feedback for what to work on this year, with the expectation he's absolutely coming back to Ann Arbor in the 2026-27 season.
Cadeau signed a new deal to stay with U-M for another season earlier this month, the first big name Michigan announced was returning during what's been a busy month of roster turnover.
Earlier on Friday, Michigan added former Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam from the transfer portal and saw big men Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara both enter their name for the NBA Draft − the belief is Mara is certainly gone and Johnson is more than likely leaving.
MORE DRAFT NEWS: Michigan's Aday Mara declares for 2026 NBA Draft but keeps eligibility
On Thursday, the Wolverines added former LSU big man Jalen Reed in the transfer portal, the second SEC addition of the offseason after Michigan landed a commitment from former Tennessee forward J.P. Estrella earlier in the month.
Cadeau, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound facilitator, averaged 10.5 points and 5.9 assists per game in his first season with U-M after spending the first two campaigns of his career at North Carolina.
While his 41.1% shooting percentage was the lowest of his career, his 3-point rate (37.6%) was the best of his three-year career. Cadeau scored in double figures in more than half of U-M's games (21) and had six games with double-digit assists, recording three double-doubles.
Cadeau, who will be a senior next season, tied a season-high with 19 points in U-M's championship victory over UConn and averaged 12.3 points and 7.5 assists in six NCAA Tournament games. In the process, he showed he can lead a team to the highest levels of the sport even without a true backup: He played 30 minutes or more in nine of Michigan's final 11 games.
He will partner in the backcourt with Trey McKenney and will be supplemented in the backcourt by five-star freshman Brandon McCoy. According to 247Sports composite rankings, Michigan has the No. 1 incoming class in the nation when combining transfer portal and high school recruits.
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball's Elliot Cadeau declares for 2026 NBA Draft