Michigan State basketball had an interesting market to work through this offseason.

Tom Izzo's 2026-27 team only had one obvious hole in it: center. Both Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper were departing the program, and MSU needed a more proven piece at the five. The Spartans ended up landing Anton Bonke on April 22, a little more than two weeks after the portal officially opened. There are a few reasons to think that Michigan State made the right choice.

Overinflated NIL Market

Mar 19, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo speaks at a postgame press conference after the game against the North Dakota State Bison during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

One of the problems the Spartans dealt with was the simple fact that big men were in extremely high demand.…