The NBA combine provided clarity on each prospect's draft stock. Many liked what they heard from their agents and NBA executives and decided to stay in the draft. Others, like Kansas State's Arthur Kaluma, decided to return to school but enter the transfer portal.
Many programs should be interested in the three-year college veteran. Kaluma has plenty of versatility in the frontcourt and has experience making big runs in the tournament. The Memphis Tigers, Illinois Fighting Illini, and Creighton Bluejays look like great spots for Kaluma out of the transfer portal.
Arthur Kaluma lands with Memphis
Of all the teams interested in Kaluma, Memphis looks like the favorite to land him at the moment. It makes sense on a few fronts. For one, the Tigers are losing a lot of players from last year's roster. Jahvon Quinerly is finally out of eligibility after six years of college ball and David Jones won't be returning either.
Memphis was dealt a big blow when Jones decided to remain in the NBA Draft. He was their leading scorer (21.8 points per game) and rebounder (7.6 boards) last year. Jones also paced the team in steals with more than two swipes a game. He has work to do as a playmaker, but Jones looks the part of a microwave scorer who can help a team in the league off the bench.
Memphis has done their part in looking for reinforcements. They've already landed commits from Texas' Tyrese Hunter (guard), Tulsa's PJ Haggerty (guard), Ole Miss' Moussa Cisse (center), SMU's Tyreek Smith (forward), and UCF's JJ Taylor (forward). But they could use more help on the wing and that's exactly where Kaluma thrives.
The Tigers also have a four-star guard in Jared Harris coming in. They could be loaded for next season with one more splash from the portal. Kaluma could be the cherry on top for Penny Hardaway and crew. He'd be a great fit with Memphis.
Illinois adds Kaluma
Illinois is in a situation where they have to replace a forward who is also in the transfer portal. That would be Coleman Hawkins, a former Illini who turned down the NBA for a fifth season of college basketball. It's still possible he could return to Illinois, but if he doesn't, coach Brad Underwood needs to be prepared. Kaluma is the best insurance policy that's left in the portal.
Illinois has already been busy this offseason. They have two four-star recruits coming in and additionally have already landed several commits from the portal. That includes Arizona's Kylan Boswell, Louisville's Tre White, Notre Dame's Carey Booth, and Evansville's Ben Humrichous. While a number of players from last year's Elite Eight squad are leaving the program, they have plenty of firepower coming in.
Like with Memphis, Kaluma would be the icing on the cake. Illinois should be going hard after him if they can't bring Hawkins back.
Arthur Kaluma reunites with Creighton
Who doesn't love a good reunion? Kaluma has already seen plenty of success with Creighton during his first two seasons of college basketball. He made the Elite Eight with them in 2023 and nearly took down Kansas in the second round of the 2022 tournament.
Creighton could really use him back because they are losing a lot of players from this year's team. Baylor Scheierman, Trey Alexander, and Ryan Kalkbrenner are all going pro. The Bluejays are bringing in Texas Tech's Pop Isaacs and Arizona State's Jamiya Neal alongside two of ESPN's top 100 high school recruits. But this core did a lot of winning with Creighton. Head coach Greg McDermott is starting from scratch.
Kaluma would bring a lot of familiarity back to Creighton's program. The Blue Jays should be trying hard to bring him back.
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