Penny Hardaway is telling you there’s a chance Memphis basketball All-American PJ Haggerty returns to the Tigers.
Haggerty, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining, entered the transfer portal April 17. He also told Hardaway he will test the NBA Draft waters. Haggerty is reportedly seeking at least $4 million in NIL money for the 2025-26 season.
It’s unclear whether Memphis has that kind of money to devote to a single player, but Hardaway remains open to the possibility of Haggerty returning to the Tigers.
“I think that he’s really fully focusing on the NBA. Going into the portal – he didn’t close the door on us. We still talk and still have a great relationship,” said Hardaway, who was among a contingent of Memphis coaches and athletes on campus April 22 to participate in the annual Blue & Gray Cleanup Day.
“So, it wasn’t like he was like, ‘I’m outta here. I’m gone.’ That’s his right to go into the portal if he wants to.”
Hardaway added the situation with Haggerty remains a two-way street.
“No, I haven’t. I haven’t closed the door on him,” he said. “Like I said, we have a great relationship and I respect his decision.”
Penny Hardaway addresses Memphis basketball 2025-26 roster
In the meantime, Hardaway still has a roster to assemble. The Tigers already have commitments from several Division I transfers (Quante Berry, Ashton Hardaway, Julius “King” Thedford, Zachary Davis and Sincere Parker), and they are actively working to acquire more. NCAA rules prevent Hardaway from specifically addressing prospective Tigers.
But Hardaway addressed the difficulty of building a team with potential members of it still in limbo.
“It’s very tough, obviously, because you have to wait,” he said. “And the other players in the portal aren’t waiting. They’re going to go where they’re wanted. It makes it a little tougher.”
Making matters even more complex is the skyrocketing market value for college athletes. Haggerty is not the only one commanding multi-million dollar NIL paydays. Texas Tech’s JT Toppin is reportedly getting $4 million next season. BYU is reportedly paying Rob Wright $3.5 million.
While Hardaway is all for players getting paid, he’s still uneasy about the direction things seem to be trending.
“I think it’s crazy and out of hand. This summer is way different than any other time. I don’t know how it got to that, but it’s there,” he said.
Hardaway, when asked whether any of it makes him feel differently about his job, said it doesn’t.
“It just kind of makes you wonder how long this is going to go,” he said. “I mean, some of these numbers are crazy. The players, you can’t fault them. If it’s allowed, they’re going to get as much as they can.
“But it’s just out of control right now.”
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com, follow him @munzly on X, and sign up for the Memphis Basketball Insider text group.
