It's been a successful week for Yaxel Lendeborg at the NBA Draft Combine. The No. 1-ranked player in the college basketball transfer portal measured well and converted 69% of his aggregate field goal attempts during drills, the 10th-best mark at the combine. He is projected to go No. 29 overall to the Phoenix Suns in CBS Sports' latest mock draft and is a threat to spurn his commitment to Michigan and stay in the draft, according to 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein.
"Lendeborg put up huge numbers this year and went into the portal already committed to Michigan," Finkelstein said Tuesday, via the 247Sports College Basketball Show. "But, I'm going to tell you the truth. He has got some serious momentum in the NBA Draft. It sounds like he may be in this draft to stay. … Lendeborg was one of the biggest winners of the measurements, coming in at 6-foot-10 with shoes on. He has a 7-foot-4 wingspan and a nine-foot standing reach. Add that to some of the playmaking and passing we've seen late in the season. He's got some definite momentum heading into the first round. We'll see what decision he makes."
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Lendeborg said earlier this week he was "50/50, maybe 60/40" on leaving the NBA Draft and playing the 2025-26 college basketball season at Michigan. Still, things could change as he talks with NBA teams. The do-it-all forward is an attractive NBA prospect after a terrific two seasons at UAB, following his arrival via Arizona Western at the JUCO level. He averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.8 blocks per game this past season, shooting 52.2% from the field and 35.7% from the 3-point line.
"He's the No. 1 player in the transfer portal," national basketball analyst Isaac Trotter added. "He's put up enormous numbers. He has a 7-foot-4 wingspan. The body, the frame and the numbers that he's put up — it's really, really impressive. You could argue that Michigan has as much on the line as any team in college basketball this week at the NBA Combine, If you get Lendeborg back, along with adding Elliot Cadeau, Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara in the portal, you could talk yourself into Michigan being a top-15 team nationally, maybe the best team in the Big Ten outside of Purdue. However, if Lendeborg is good enough to stay, that changes how we feel about Dusty May's second team in Ann Arbor."
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The NBA's early entry withdrawal deadline is June 15, but if Lendeborg wishes to retain his NCAA eligibility, a decision must be made by May 28. The Wolverines' transfer portal class ranks No. 2 nationally with Lendeborg in the fold.