North Carolina's roster was expected to see changes following the firing of Hubert Davis. With Michael Malone set to take over the reins, the players from last year's roster have every right to explore other options via the transfer portal.
We've seen a few Tar Heels enter the portal already, and you can add another name to the list.
James Brown enters the transfer portal
NEW: North Carolina forward James Brown plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, @JoeTipton reports. https://t.co/PhdChFvLRs pic.twitter.com/Rg5yNqUhjU
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 7, 2026
On Tuesday morning, it was revealed that former top-100-ranked prospect James Brown will enter his name in the transfer portal.
Brown didn't see much action on the court, as he was limited to just 27 total games over his two seasons in Chapel Hill. Of those 27 appearances, 18 came during his true freshman season, as he was limited to just 9 games this season after undergoing season-ending surgery in February.
The hope was that Brown would be able to be a contributor off the bench, helping provide a boost when the likes of Henri Veesaar, Jarin Stevenson and Caleb Wilson needed a breather. Brown went through a complete body overhaul this offseason, putting in the work to make that a possibility.
However, the injury bug caught him, which sidelined him from competing at a time where UNC desperately could've benefitted from having him available.
Now, Brown may elect to come back for another season and compete for playing time, but he may have opportunities elsewhere that provide him with more of a guaranteed role. Heading into his junior season, the clock is ticking on Brown's college career, as he'll have to make a tough decision as to whether or not he wants to stick it out another year in hopes that the coaching change provides him with a fresh opportunity in Chapel Hill.
We will continue to provide all the latest news and offseason rumors surrounding the UNC basketball program in our transfer portal tracker.