Tre Donaldson to enter transfer portal, leaving Michigan basketball with point guard vacancy

Michigan basketball will be looking for a new starting point guard for the 2025-26 season after Tre Donaldson, who held the position this past year, decided to enter the transfer portal.

This move isn’t entirely surprising, particularly after Michigan added Elliot Cadeau, a former North Carolina guard, from the transfer portal on Monday.

Dusty May has frequently played multiple guards simultaneously, but Cadeau is a ball-dominant player. Donaldson could have shifted to an off-ball role, but as I pointed out on Monday, Cadeau, a 68-game starter and former five-star recruit, isn’t transferring to Michigan to come off the bench.

It’s disappointing to see Tre go, especially given his key contributions late in the season. Michigan fans will always remember his buzzer-beater against Maryland, which helped the Wolverines secure the Big Ten tournament title, his clutch 3-pointers against Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game, and his game-winning three late against UC San Diego.

However, it’s clear that Michigan basketball needed a more playmaking-oriented point guard. Donaldson struggled in the final two games, tallying only 13 points, four assists, and five turnovers.

Tre did make 63 3-pointers for Michigan this season, shooting 37 percent, while also recording 151 assists and 81 turnovers. While the Wolverines might have made it work, successful teamwork requires both sides to be on the same page.

We can only guess what the conversations were like, but shortly after the news broke, Donaldson posted a heartbroken emoji on Instagram.

That likely speaks volumes about his feelings.