On April 12, Milan Momcilovic announced that he is declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft while preserving his collegiate eligibility through the transfer portal.
The 6’8″ forward entered the NBA Draft to receive feedback on his draft stock and attend the NBA Combine and workouts. Momcilovic has until May 27 to withdraw from the 2026 NBA Draft to retain his college eligibility. He’s currently projected as a second-round pick and several schools are hoping he returns to college, as he’s widely regarded as the best player remaining in the transfer portal.
Blue-Blood Programs Await Milan Momcilovic’s Decision
Momcilovic, whose 48.7% shooting from 3-point range led the nation last season, is highly coveted in the transfer portal. Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger closed the door on a potential reunion after signing Leon Bond III, Taj Manning, Jaquan Johnson, Tre Singleton and Ryan Prather Jr. via the transfer portal, plus incoming recruits Yusef Gray Jr., Christian Wiggins, Jackson Kiss, and Dorian Rinaldo-Komlan.
With Iowa State out of scholarships and having 15 players on the roster, Duke, Kentucky, Florida, and Kansas are among the schools battling to secure Momcilovic’s commitment if he withdraws from the NBA Draft and returns to college.
However, they will have to wait until May 27 — the deadline for NBA early-entry draft prospects to withdraw their applications. Securing Momcilovic’s potential commitment is expected to cost roughly $2 million, according to On3’s estimate.
As most programs in men’s college basketball adopt a modern offensive approach that prioritizes spacing and 3-point shooting, having a resident sniper like Momcilovic is a major advantage.
Iowa State benefited from having Momcilovic on the team last season, as they ranked No. 13 in 3-point shooting percentage at 38.3%. The forward alone buried 3.7 3s per game.
Despite being known as an advocate for a modern, fast-paced “5-out” system that emphasizes heavy 3-point shooting, elite spacing, and constant player movement, Mark Pope’s Wildcats shot just 34.2% from 3 last season, which ranked 168th in the nation. That was a far cry from their 37.5% 3-point percentage in 2024-25, when they ranked 28th. Kentucky ultimately went 22-14 and lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament… to Iowa State and Momcilovic, who scored 20 points and drilled 4 3-pointers.
Collin Chandler, Denzel Aberdeen, Otega Oweh, and Jasper Johnson combined for 211 of Kentucky’s 275 3-pointers this past season, but that quartet is gone. Pope is under fire for missing on Kentucky’s top targets in the transfer portal, and Momcilovic is the kind of splashy addition he needs to win the fanbase back over and run his preferred offense.
Duke is another team that could use a floor-spacer like Momcilovic to bolster its fearsome lineup. Though the Blue Devils’ lineup is almost complete, they remain interested in adding the long-range sniper to their roster to address their struggles from beyond the arc. Last season, the Blue Devils struggled from long range, making 8.7 3-pointers per game at a 34.7% clip, ranking 143rd in the nation. That was a big decline from the 2024-25 season when Duke made 38.6% of their 3-pointers, ranking 12th in the nation.
Isaiah Evans, Cameron Boozer, Nik Khamenia, and Darren Harris have either transferred or entered the NBA Draft. Those four combined for 213 of Duke’s 309 made 3-pointers last season, so adding a sharpshooter like Momcilovic would be huge for Duke’s offense.
The same goes for Kansas and Florida. Despite boasting a talented roster led by presumptive 2026 NBA Draft lottery pick Darryn Peterson, Kansas struggled from 3-point range this past season, making only 34.6% of its attempts and ranking 151st in the nation. Their second-round NCAA Tournament loss to St. John’s proved that the Jayhawks would benefit from improved shooting next season.
As the Red Storm tightened their interior defense, Kansas was unable to make timely shots from beyond the arc. The lack of shooters was the main reason the Jayhawks attempted only 14 3-pointers and made just 5. By contrast, St. John’s made 11 triples to hold off the Jayhawks’ spirited rally and advance to the next round.
Peterson, Tre White, and Melvin Council Jr. combined for 156 of Kansas’ 243 3-pointers last season. While Leroy Blyden Jr. (40.7% from 3) and Tyran Stokes are expected to lead the backcourt next season, acquiring a shooter like Momcilovic would only help Bill Self’s team.
Florida struggled from 3-point range this past season as well, making only 31.2% from deep and ranking 321st in the nation. The Gators’ 3-point percentage was down 4.4% from the 2024-25 season when they were national champions. Momcilovic is a great fit for Florida coach Todd Golden’s up-tempo, floor-spacing offense.
Unlike Kentucky, Duke, and Kansas, two of Florida’s top three in made 3-pointers — Urban Klavzar and Thomas Haugh — are returning next season. Also, Golden has welcomed back Denzel Aberdeen to the Gators’ roster after he spent one season with Kentucky, where he made 62 3s. Florida is already loaded and a legitimate contender, but adding Momcilovic would make this team even scarier.
These four program will wait until May 27 to see whether Momcilovic decides to push through with his NBA Draft plans or return to college basketball and spend his final year of eligibility with one of these blue-blood teams interested in securing his commitment.
