Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau declares for NBA Draft, will maintain eligibility

Michigan Wolverines junior point guard Elliot Cadeau is declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft, his agent told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. He will maintain his collegiate eligibility with an eye on building momentum for next year, per the report.

“Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau will declare for the NBA Draft while maintaining his eligibility, per Drew Gross of WME Basketball,” Givony said on social media on Friday night. “National champion and Final Four Most Outstanding Player will go through the draft process with an eye on building momentum going into next year.”

Cadeau, who transferred into Michigan from North Carolina last spring, was one of three Wolverines to play in and start all 40 games last season. He averaged a career-high 10.5 points with 5.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 27.3 minutes per game. Cadeau was a driving force in U-M’s 37-3 season and run to the national championship, earning NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player for his efforts in the postseason. He tied a career-high 19 points in the 69-63 victory over UConn to clinch the program’s first title since 1989.

“It means the world to me,” Cadeau said in the postgame press conference after the UConn win. “I’m just so proud of myself, where I came from. Last year I was really down on myself, a lot of people doubted me. And I’m just so proud of myself for me to be able to say I was the Most Outstanding Player and win a National Championship at the same time.”

Cadeau told TheWolverine.com’s Chris Balas on March 28 in Chicago that he intended to return, and recently agreed to a deal with Michigan to return for the 2026-27 season. He is the third Wolverine with eligibility remaining to set plans to declare for the draft, along with big men Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr.