Jonathan Givony
Yaxel Lendeborg, a projected late first-round pick, will withdraw his name from the 2025 NBA draft and spend his final collegiate season at Michigan, he told ESPN on Tuesday.
“While it’s been and still is a dream of mine to play in the NBA, I feel the development and growth as a player and a person I will gain at the University of Michigan will be very beneficial,” Lendeborg told ESPN.
The NCAA deadline for players to withdraw from the NBA draft and maintain college eligibility is Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Lendeborg, the No. 26 prospect in ESPN’s NBA draft projections, was one of the most productive players in college basketball, averaging 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 55% from 2-point range and 36% from 3. He helped lead UAB to the NIT quarterfinals and became one of only two players in Division I history to post 600-plus points, 400-plus rebounds and 150-plus assists in a season, along with Larry Bird.
He was named Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-AAC in each of the past two seasons.
“I’d like to thank Coach May and staff for allowing me to go through this process without any pressure, the Champions Circle collective for helping make this opportunity possible, and all the NBA teams I worked out for, allowing me to experience the pre-draft process,” Lendeborg said. “Go Blue!”
Lendeborg was the No. 1 big man in the NCAA transfer portal, committing to coach Dusty May in early April. He spent the past six weeks exploring the NBA draft process, participating in the NBA draft combine and private team workouts.
It’s rare for a projected first-round pick to forgo the NBA draft in favor of an additional season in college, but the 22-year old Lendeborg’s unique backstory contributed to his decision. He played only 11 varsity high school games as a senior and was moved across the country to a small junior college in Arizona by his mother after standing out in an exposure camp for Dominican players in New York.
“I was more into video games than basketball for most of my life,” Lendeborg told ESPN. “I would play 19 hours a day; it was a religion for me. I wasn’t the best student. My mom forced me to get on a plane to Arizona. That was the best thing that ever happened to me.
“I went from there to UAB, where Andy Kennedy was a father figure for me. This past summer was really the first time I ever had a real organized workout plan. I’m just scratching the surface on the player I can evolve into, and with more work I can reach that potential.”
Lendeborg will step into the void left by 7-footer Danny Wolf, a projected top-20 draft pick coming off a standout season at Michigan in which he alternated between playing point guard, power forward and center.
Lendeborg said Wolf’s success and the heavy usage he saw pushing the ball off the defensive glass and facilitating the offense as a pick-and-roll ball handler played a part in his decision-making process.
“It’s amazing what Dusty May did with Danny Wolf,” Lendeborg said. “I would watch his games this season and say, ‘Man, I wish that was me.’ I’m trying to bring the same type of versatility he brought to Michigan.”
Michigan will look vastly different next season, adding three other impact transfers in North Carolina point guard Elliot Cadeau, Illinois big man Morez Johnson and UCLA‘s Aday Mara, as well as freshman wing and McDonald’s All-American Trey McKenney from the high school ranks.
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service utilized by NBA, NCAA and International teams.
