Elliot Cadeau withdraws from 2026 draft

Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau has withdrawn from the 2026 NBA Draft and will return to school for the 2026-27 season, according to Sports Illustrated and other reports published May 16 and May 17. Sports Illustrated cited Cadeau’s agent, Drew Gross, and said the move removes Cadeau from this year’s draft pool. (si.com) USA Today’s Rookie Wire reported that Cadeau also confirmed the decision on Instagram. (mgoblue.com) The decision comes ahead of the NCAA’s May 27 deadline for college players to withdraw and keep their eligibility. The NBA’s early-entry list says college players who entered the 2026 draft must pull out by that date to remain eligible to return. (nba.com) The 2026 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 23. ### When was Cadeau’s withdrawal reported? May 16 and May 17 were the dates attached to the first wave of reports on Cadeau’s decision. The Detroit News reported on May 16 that Cadeau had pulled out of the draft and would return to Michigan. Sports Illustrated published its report on May 17 and said the news had first been reported by CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. (si.com) USA Today’s Rookie Wire also published a May 17 report saying Cadeau confirmed the move on Instagram and would return to play for coach Dusty May. (nba.com) That report described the decision as a return for his senior season. ### What does the move change for Cadeau’s status? The NCAA rule at issue is straightforward: players can test the draft process and still return to college if they withdraw by the set deadline. The NBA’s 2026 early-entry page lists May 27 as the withdrawal deadline for players who want to retain NCAA eligibility. (detroitnews.com) An NCAA draft-process document posted this month lists the same timeline. June 23 is the date Sports Illustrated gave for the 2026 NBA Draft. By withdrawing now, Cadeau is no longer part of that draft class and remains available to play college basketball next season. (therookiewire.usatoday.com) ### What did Cadeau do for Michigan last season? Michigan’s official roster page says Cadeau started all 40 games in the 2025-26 season and averaged a career-high 10.5 points per game. The school also lists him at 5.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game, with All-Big Ten honorable mention honors. (nba.com) The same Michigan page says Cadeau was the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 2026. Sports-Reference lists Michigan at 37-3 overall and 19-1 in Big Ten play, with a national championship run that ended in a title-game win over Connecticut. (si.com) ### How long had a return to Michigan been in play? April 24 is when Sports Illustrated reported that Cadeau had changed plans after previously agreeing to return to Michigan for the 2026-27 season. That report said his draft entry had complicated what earlier looked like a settled return to Ann Arbor. (mgoblue.com) Michigan-centered outlets later described the withdrawal as expected. USA Today’s Michigan site said Cadeau had agreed to a new deal with the Wolverines in mid-April before officially removing his name from the draft. UM Hoops also reported that Cadeau had agreed to return for his senior season. (mgoblue.com) ### What comes next in the draft calendar? May 27 is the next key checkpoint for other college players still deciding whether to stay in the draft. The NBA early-entry page and other draft trackers say that is the deadline to withdraw and keep NCAA eligibility. (si.com) June 23 is the scheduled date of the 2026 NBA Draft, while Michigan’s next practical step is preparing its 2026-27 roster with Cadeau back in Ann Arbor. Cadeau remains listed on Michigan’s official roster page, and the school credits him with starting every game during its 2025-26 title season. (mgoblue.com) (nba.com) (witness.usatoday.com)