Kansas forward Flory Bidunga (40) looks to go up to the bucket against Kansas State forward Taj Manning (15) during the first half, Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas forward Flory Bidunga intends to declare for the NBA Draft while also entering the transfer portal, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Thursday night.
Bidunga will therefore have a number of options at his disposal, as he could choose to go to the NBA, leave for another school or remain at KU for his junior season.
This is the first major offseason move for the Jayhawks in terms of player personnel, and it comes a day after head coach Bill Self announced his plans to return for a 24th season. It will now be the second straight spring during which Bidunga has tested the waters in the transfer portal. He entered it in late March 2025 and a week later decided to return to the Jayhawks, with whom he demonstrated substantial improvement during the 2025-26 campaign.
As a sophomore, the Congolese forward averaged 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game while earning the title of Big 12 defensive player of the year. He was an unparalleled rim protector, far more disciplined than in his freshman year and helped anchor KU’s defense with his ability to switch onto guards and defend them on the perimeter. His offensive output was a bit less consistent, particularly in the later stages of the season, but he turned in several impressive performances on that end as well.
Bidunga’s NBA prospects are not yet clear. A recent mock draft from CBS Sports placed him in the late first round, but other releases from the likes of Bleacher Report and ESPN have him midway through the second round.
Prior to the postseason, Self had weighed in on Bidunga’s potential stay-or-go decision, amid potential rumors he might decide to go elsewhere during the offseason.
“He could go pro,” Self said on March 10. “But I’m not concerned about anything else, if that’s what you’re asking. I also think this, folks: Everybody has an agent, and everybody’s agent, if not shopping, is putting feelers out there about whatever. And that could be done by an agent just to try to get a better deal at the school that you’re at. So there’s way too much read into a lot of this stuff. Not saying it can’t be true, but the reality of it is, a lot of stuff takes place without players actually knowing about it.”
If he indeed enters the portal, Bidunga will be KU’s first potential departure among the Jayhawks’ eight non-Darryn Peterson players with remaining eligibility. (Peterson, a freshman is a surefire top-three pick in the draft.) In the post, KU has Davion Adkins signed as a freshman forward in the class of 2026, with Paul Mbiya and Bryson Tiller currently on the roster.