Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny promised more resources for OU's men's basketball program, and however much money that means, head coach Porter Moser and new general manager Lucas McCay will need every penny if the Sooners are going to be real national contenders next season.
The consensus seems to be that if a program truly wants to compete for a national title, then at least $10 million should be spent on a roster. How that money is divided will vary, but most of the budget would be spent on the starting five.
Regardless, Denny boldly proclaimed all OU sports will compete for championships, so the Sooners should at least get close to that $10 million mark if that's the truth for men's basketball. According to OUInsider, the Sooners spent $6.5 million on their 2025-26 roster, so the budget will need to be nearly doubled.
Breaking down how much a winning roster could cost the Sooners
With the Transfer Portal open and the rat race for talent underway, multiple outlets have released estimated numbers for what it could cost programs to lure the top prospects in the portal. And those numbers don't just reflect new talent, but also players that programs need to retain who want to be paid like others at their level and position. If not, they'll hit the portal and someone else will give them that money.
According to The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman, the price for a top-25 transfer prospect will cost at least $2.5 million, based on 10-plus head coaches, assistants and general managers who were asked. The most expensive asset will be a big man, which OU needs, at $4-5 million. Goodman reported a point guard will cost $3-4 million and a wing $2.5-3 million. It's worth reminding those are the prices to get the best available, which is needed to assemble a top team.
As of Friday, the Sooners return two starters from last season in point guard Xzayvier Brown and Derrion Reid. To keep them, the Sooners probably need to pay Brown about $1 million based on the high point guard market and Reid $1.5 million as a 6-foot-8 forward who could draw a lot of attention in the portal. Both are still rather cheap based on Goodman's top-25 projections since neither would be rated that high.
The Sooners' biggest needs that will require the most cash are a dominant big man and replacing leading scorer Nijel Pack with another potent three-point shooter.
Read more: 3 dream targets Porter Moser must target for Oklahoma with the Transfer Portal now open
Just about everyone is desperate for a big man, so if OU wants to get a top option to solve its biggest problem, the Sooners should plan on spending the most there with about $4 million. More than likely, though, the Sooners won't spend that much on one player, so won't get a center from the top of the list. For the sake of this exercise, about $3 million could be estimated for a big man still near the top.
If the Sooners spend about $5.5 million between those three starters, that leaves $4.5 million if they're aiming for that $10 million threshold. At least $2 million should probably go toward Pack's replacement, leaving $2.5 million for the final starter and the rest of the roster. That's where McCay really proves his worth in finding value talent that can make an impact.
Again, these are all estimates based on reports on the market this offseason and what OU needs, but here's a breakdown of what the Sooners' roster could cost to be serious contenders and based on that $10 million mark being reached. Although not entirely accurate, it at least gives fans perspective of what it might take.
Oklahoma roster breakdown by cost
Xzayvier Brown: $1 million
Nijel Pack replacement: $2 million
Derrion Reid: $1.5 million
Starting forward: $1.5 million
Center: $3 million
Bench: $1 million