Kentucky Basketball may be just one major addition away from finalizing its roster for the 2026-27 season, and one name continues to dominate the conversation: Iowa State transfer forward Milan Momcilovic.
The 6-foot-8 sharpshooter is currently testing the NBA Draft waters while also exploring a potential return to college basketball, with Kentucky emerging as one of the top contenders if he withdraws from the draft.
Momcilovic, who led college basketball in 3-point percentage (48.7%) and total made threes (136) last season, admitted the financial side of college basketball has become impossible to ignore in the NIL era.
“I could get more money in college — that’s the bottom line — than a contract in the NBA right now,” Momcilovic told Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Leader
The Wisconsin native told the Lexington Herald-Leader that only a handful of schools remain in the mix due to roster space and NIL flexibility.
“There’s not a lot of schools that still have a lot of money and a lot of roster spots left,” Momcilovic said. “So it’s not like I’m choosing between 15 schools. It’s going to be three or four.”
Kentucky appears firmly in that group alongside Louisville and St. John’s
While Mark Pope has not personally spoken with Momcilovic yet, Kentucky’s staff has reportedly remained in contact through his representatives. Momcilovic entered the transfer portal with a “do not contact” tag while focusing primarily on the NBA Combine process.
Still, he made it clear Kentucky’s style of play is appealing.
“I think Kentucky would be a good fit,” Momcilovic told the Herald-Leader. “I obviously went against Pope at BYU his first year (in the Big 12), and I loved how his team played.”
Kentucky is also still awaiting a final NBA Draft decision from Malachi Moreno, who has gained traction as a potential first-round prospect following strong pre-draft workouts.
If Moreno returns and Kentucky lands Momcilovic, the Wildcats could suddenly transform from a roster filled with questions into potentially a national contender entering Pope’s third season in Lexington.