Warren Washington would be a great fit for Michigan Basketball

A new target has emerged for Michigan basketball in the transfer portal and that’s big man Warren Washington. Here’s why he’d fit perfectly. 

Navigating the transfer portal is always an adventure for Michigan basketball. The Wolverines lost Hunter Dickinson to Kansas while adding three players with starter potential.

However, Caleb Love, Nimari Burnett, and Tray Jackson haven’t been announced yet. There could be some credits that need to be completed but Love reiterated last week that he will play for Michigan basketball next season despite rumors saying otherwise.

Michigan has also been after former Tennessee forward Olivier Nkamhoua out of Tennessee. However, he has also declared for the NBA Draft and it feels more like he’ll pursue pro basketball next season instead of returning to college.

If he does come back to college, Michigan basketball sounds like the favorite to get him. We’ll find out in the next few weeks as the NBA draft withdrawal deadline is on June 1.

The Wolverines have two scholarships right now after the transfer of Greg Glenn and releasing Papa Kante from his letter of intent. I don’t think we’ll see any other departures at this point. But there needs to be another addition or two.

One that makes a ton of sense is Warren Washington.

Why Warren Washington

Washington is a graduate transfer after playing for Arizona State last season, so that’s a positive right there. Graduates and freshmen are the ideal candidates for Michigan.

Washington redshirted a year as a transfer and played during the COVID year so he should have two more seasons if he wants. Last year, he averaged 9.2 points per game and shot 56 percent on his 2-point attempts. He also averaged 1.8 blocks per game and 1.6 assists.

The 7-footer averaged 26 minutes per game and 4.8 rebounds. He has taken two visits to TCU and is looking to visit Texas Tech and Michigan. For the Wolverines, it could be another starting option.

Washington could be the starting center and Tarris Reed could start at the four if Michigan basketball isn’t able to find another starter at the four. It would certainly reinforce the frontcourt and add some much-needed rim protection.

Beyond that, Washington is also a proven low-post scorer who averaged 10.2 points per game over two seasons with Nevada and made 59.5 percent of his 2-point attempts.

After playing in the Pac-12, he’s proven can play high-major basketball. He’s a graduate transfer so there shouldn’t be any issues getting him in school, and makes sense in terms of the roster.

Plus, Juwan has a great reputation with big guys and all things considered, this feels like a realistic possibility and would be another quality depth piece at the very least.