After Bill Self returned to Kansas, he was met with what would turn out to be one of the toughest roster rebuilds in college basketball and his career. With key players heading to the NBA and being out of eligibility, Self also dealt with seven players hitting the portal.
One of those players may be coming back to Lawrence after a short stint in the portal, but negotiations seem to be getting in the way. Paul Mbiya was the third player to enter the portal for Kansas, alongside Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller, but while Tiller and Bidunga have already picked their new teams, Mbiya wants to come back to the Jayhawks.
It has been reported by Henry Greenstein of the Lawrence-World Journal that Mbiya 100% wants to return to Kansas, but his management is creating a blockade in NIL negotiations. Mbiya's agent, Yacine Fylla, told Greenstein that they are trying to get the best deal possible for Mbiya, and they don't want to let his emotions of wanting to play in Lawrence again get in the way.
Paul Mbiya is "100% jayhawks" and wants to return to KU but has not yet reached a final agreement.
— Henry Greenstein (@HenryGreenstein) April 16, 2026
"We are trying to get him the deal he deserves," his management Yacine Fylla told the Journal-World via DM. "He is on emotion. We need to help him understand it's also a business."
Paul Mbiya's management seems to be squeezing everything they can out of Kansas
Bill Self would probably love to see Mbiya come back to Kansas, as he can bring experience as a big man for the Jayhawks, but he can't afford to break the bank for one player. Mbiya only averaged 5 minutes per game last season with 1.2 points per game and 1.4 rebounds.
While Mbiya is a talent that could help the Jayhawks, he isn't worth the biggest deal in the world, and that seems to be what his agents are trying to get for him. This is exactly what the world of the transfer portal has come to; instead of going to the best program for a player's development, it is which program can make that player, and their agents, the most money.
Kansas hasn't brought in a lot of players so far in the transfer portal, right now just Utah's Keanu Dawes, and with losing so many players to the portal and eligibility, there is money to spend. However, Kansas has four new freshmen coming in, and is still pursuing Tyran Stokes for the Class of 2026.
Mbiya would be a great player to bring back, and it is clear he wants to return as well, but it needs to be beneficial for both sides and not just one.
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