Former Oklahoma men's basketball star Trae Young is trying to make his alma-mater a million times better.
Young on Monday was introduced as assistant general manager for men's basketball. He also announced that he was donating $1 million to the men's basketball program, which will be a giant help in NIL as Porter Moser and his staff are currently after recruits in the transfer portal.
As assistant GM, according to OU's release, Young will lend support in OU player personnel and strategic roster management planning, and will serve a critical role in helping build student-athletes' brands and maximizing their potential.
The release also later added, "Young's responsibilities will include assisting with the evaluation of high school and transfer portal prospects, as well as helping negotiate player contracts in accordance with NCAA and conference rules and the team's revenue share budget. He will also assist with university fundraising initiatives to help grow support for OU's men's basketball program."
"Trae is a son of Norman, Oklahoma, and he's given so much to our city and its people," said athletic director Joe Castiglione. "He has a strong affinity for this place and his commitment to ensuring our community is a thriving one is truly unmatched. He's also an OU legend who, in his time here and since, continues to achieve excellence both on and off the court. With this appointment, we're taking his commitment to Norman and to OU to the next level, dedicating our mutual support together to the success of our men's basketball program. His mind is made for this game, and we're incredibly fortunate he's in our corner wanting to put his talents and innovative thinking toward strengthening our program.
"On top of that, his continued financial generosity buoys our efforts in ways few other schools can enjoy. Even as he's thriving in the NBA, he never forgets his roots. We couldn't be more appreciative of him as well as excited to work together in helping our program flourish in this new era of college athletics."
OU football just hit a home run with hiring Jim Nagy as its GM, but this one might be a grand slam for the Sooners, even if Young doesn't have the front office experience like Nagy or can't dedicate as much time while still playing in the NBA.
After the Sooners' loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Moser again mentioned OU's lack of funding for NIL. He said if the Sooners want to win games in March, then they need to win the battles in April when luring top prospects from the transfer portal.
Young immediately helped his first battle in his new role, which is something Nagy or most GMs couldn't do, with his giant contribution. Young as a secret weapon in this role goes even beyond the money, though.
In this position, Young will be able to recruit high school and portal prospects. In a day it's more about the money than actually recruiting, a 26-year-old four-time NBA All-Star will still have a much more profound impact on any young player than any old coach who walks through the door.
The Sooners haven't landed a player from the transfer portal yet this offseason, but being able to bring Young onboard will be their biggest addition before next season.
The future is now! BOOMER☝🏾@OU_MBBall pic.twitter.com/mEzhKDeaN9
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) March 31, 2025