As a person who loves the Illinois basketball program and the NBA, the last few weeks have been pretty fun.
The Illini have players sprinkled throughout the NBA Playoffs, one of the teams, the Minnesota Timberwolves, has two players now within three games of the Western Conference Finals.
While the NBA is giving Illinois fans some much-needed entertainment after a Final Four run, it could also relieve us of some pain that has been growing over the past two years.
On Tuesday, Front Office Sports dropped a bombshell that Michigan head coach Dusty May is getting interest from the NBA.
The teams in the report, which was released late on Tuesday afternoon, include the Orlando Magic and the Golden State Warriors.
Michigan’s Dusty May is drawing interest from multiple NBA teams, including the Magic, and potentially, the Warriors.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) May 5, 2026
Orlando just fired head coach Jamahl Mosley after a lackluster season despite having a quality team. They did take the No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons to seven games, but blew a big lead and couldn’t close them out.
According to the reports, there is mutual interest from both sides. It would only make sense for May to make the move now.
May is coming off a national championship with Michigan. He came to Ann Arbor to win, and he has done so after two seasons.
I would add that May’s stock isn’t going to be higher. He could probably demand a big salary, and he can move his family down to Florida, where he coached Florida Atlantic for six seasons before taking over at Michigan. So, he already has roots in the area.
Dusty May taking off for the NBA would be great news to the Illinois basketball fanbase
Don’t get me wrong, I am very biased in this situation. I want May out of the Big Ten, and I think the Magic job would be a perfect exit.
Why would an Illinois fan like me want May gone? Well, I miss the old Michigan. I yearn for the days of Juwan Howard and his chaotic Wolverines’ squads.
In two short seasons, May took an eight-win Michigan team under Howard and has won 64 games, made the Sweet 16, and won a national championship. He is a great coach, and I want him gone.
Michigan also convincingly beat Illinois last season. We had won nine in a row leading up to that double-digit loss. To make things worse, May was taking our talent. I don’t like Morez Johnson Jr. anymore because he bolted for Michigan and was a crucial piece in their title run.
Long story short, get May out of the Big Ten. He is too good a coach, and Michigan needs to go back to the days of hiring some former player who isn’t good at his job. Jalen Rose, perhaps?
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