Tennessee hasn’t been hit by the portal too much until today, as they have already lost Cade Phillips and Clarence Massamba, but it looks like things are starting to get worse for Rick Barnes and the staff.
3 Transfer Portal targets Tennessee must be aggressive in landing
This one is absolutely brutal for Tennessee basketball, as JP Estrella is being reported to enter the Transfer Portal. The redshirt sophomore has battled some injuries during his time in Knoxville, but proved he can be a legitimate SEC forward this year, averaging 10 points a game and 5.4 rebounds on 59.6% from the field.
Considering he was one of my favorite players for the bringing a bag of post moves, good rebounding, and tons of laughs this one stings. Estrella would have been a starter on the Vols next year, but it looks like he's going to be gone.
Estrella made a statement thanking the coaches, teamates and Vol Nation. He also said, "While this decision wasn't easy, I'm excited and hopeful for what the next chapter holds."
JP Estrella announces he is entering the transfer portal after three seasons with the #Vols. pic.twitter.com/v0zVSPLmlF
— Sam Rothman (@samrothman_) April 6, 2026
JP Estrella is gone, Tennessee needs to add a big man
Losing Estrella also hurts based on the fact that he has two years of eligibility and would have been a starter these last couple of seasons. He surely will command some high major interest from elite programs. This is not ideal for Tennessee at all.
Digging deeper, priority number one for Rick Barnes needs to be keeping Jaylen Carey around. The senior forward will be a key piece to the team next year with his physicality and post-scoring. Obviously, Rick Barnes loves to play the high-low game and get the ball in the post, and he will be a focal point of the offense next year. If Tennessee were to lose him, it would have to hit the portal even harder for forwards, which is something that is not easy to do.
With Cade Phillips and Estrella now gone, Tennessee needs at least another forward and likely a starting point guard with Ja'Kobi Gillespie graduating. Rick Barnes has a busy next couple of weeks ahead of him.