The Duke Blue Devils, despite falling well short of what was possible for their season, have emerged as one of the frontrunners to land now-former Kansas star Flory Bidunga, who announced he was going to enter the transfer portal.
However, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils don't have a clear path or automatic assurance that they will land the former Kansas Jayhawk.
In fact, while announcing his intent to enter the portal, Bidunga also shared that he had declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, which allows players to test the waters of the draft process while maintaining their collegiate eligibility.
In other words, Bidunga could easily end up as a high draft pick and part of an NBA franchise if Scheyer and his staff don't do enough to make Durham look enticing.
Flory Bidunga weighs options between NBA and a new school
Bidunga just spent two years at Kansas with legendary head coach Bill Self, and while the Jayhawks fell short of expectations in both seasons, his experience at the top of the game is priceless, especially for a team like Duke that is watching top player after top player declare for the draft.
While the departure of seniors like Maliq Brown and star freshmen like Cameorn Boozer were obviously expected at the end of the year, the loss of Patrick Ngongba II and others only rubs salt in the wound, and leaves a larger hole for Scheyer to fill with recruits and transfers.
At 6-foot-10, Bidunga boasts a massive frame, but is also an adept ball handler and can shoot extremely well. Last season, while earning the title of the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, he averaged 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 1.5 assists per game.
NEW: Kansas forward Flory Bidunga plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, @JoeTipton reports.
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 3, 2026
Bidunga is also declaring for the NBA draft. https://t.co/mQdOZUBG77 pic.twitter.com/Gy3T5eANlg
The best news for the Blue Devils is that Scheyer is undeniably an elite recruiter, bringing in the No. 1 recruiting class year after year, as well as poaching top talents from the portal on a regular basis.
Not to mention, even if Bidunga decides to head to the NBA instead of returning to college, Duke has the No. 1 recruiting class of 2026, featuring five-star prospects Cameron Williams, Bryson Howard, and Deron Rippey Jr., as well as four-star center Maxime Meyer.