With all eyes on Tom Izzo and the transfer portal, the Michigan State head coach is feeling the pressure to act fast and to find a big man to complement his starting lineup.
Detroit is hosting next year’s Final Four, and if Izzo wants the perfect Hollywood story of winning his second national title at the age of 72 back in Detroit where he felt like he should have won previously in 2009, he needs to reach deep into his pockets and pay an elite center to don the Spartan uniform.
Paying a player millions of dollars to wear the green and white isn’t something that Izzo feels good doing since it goes against everything he believes in, but he knows it might be the only thing standing in the way of him winning that second title and erasing the pain of watching Michigan win it all in 2026. If he wants to silence the “Dusty May is better than Izzo” talk, he needs to make a statement.
However, that statement will require a massive asking price which is rather demoralizing for Michigan State fans to see given the fact that Izzo isn’t one to spend millions on one player.
According to Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68, coaches and GMs believe that the asking price for elite top 25 players in the transfer portal will likely command upwards of $5 million.
Unfortunately for Michigan State, big men are likely commanding the most money.
The @TheFieldOf68 has polled 10-plus high-major head coaches, assistants and GM's for the following prices that elite (Top 25 guys) portal players will likely command: pic.twitter.com/hzs1Ie3XY9
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 8, 2026
Truly just a demoralizing figure to see on a screen, and now Spartan fans have to worry if Izzo is going to go the Szymon Zapala route and trust the guys already in his locker room by adding a guy who will only play 10-15 minutes per game. He may decide to spend a lesser amount on a player who would be a backup on most power conference teams just to add depth.
And that would be a mistake. Izzo knows what he needs to do, and unfortunately that’s going to require him to go against everything he believes in to make MSU better.
This is Tom Izzo’s most important offseason
We’ve heard it before, but this is actually Izzo’s most important offseason as Michigan State’s head coach, and that’s because he’s facing a year in which he’ll have a legit national title-caliber team and he’s only one legit piece short. On top of that, the Final Four is in Detroit
So having a team one key piece away from being favored to win the national title and the championship game being played an hour from East Lansing, Izzo needs to get it done.
Add in the fact that his biggest rival was able to win the national title just two years after going 8-24 and Izzo is feeling that pressure to win big and win now.
Izzo may have to spend $4-5 million to get what he needs to win No. 2.