Yaxel Lendeborg’s Withdrawal from 2025 NBA Draft Could Pay Dividends for Michigan

On Tuesday, May 27, former UAB player Yaxel Lendeborg announced that he is withdrawing from the 2025 NBA draft and transferring to the Michigan Wolverines for the 2025-2026 college basketball season.

According to an ESPN report, Lendeborg, who was the No. 26 prospect in ESPN's NBA draft projections, has been one of the most outstanding players in college basketball. He's averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.7 steals per game despite shooting only 55% from two-point range and 36% from the three-point range. 

Lendeborg helped lead UAB to the NIT quarterfinals last season. He is one of only two players in NCAA Division I history to reach 600-plus points, 400-plus rebounds, and 150-plus assists in any season, along with Larry Bird.

"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 explained to ESPN. "I'd like to thank Coach [Dusty] 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 predraft process."

While it is unusual for a projected first-round pick to pass up the NBA draft in favor of playing an additional season in college, Lendeborg said his upbringing contributed to his decision. He told ESPN that his mom's decision to send him to a small junior college in Arizona helped him kick his video game addiction and focus on school and basketball.

"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," he said.