Yaxel Lendeborg to withdraw from 2025 NBA Draft, transfer to Michigan

Share

Tweet

Print

Email

UAB transfer Yaxel Lendeborg will withdraw from the 2025 NBA Draft and transfer to Michigan, as first reported by ESPN.

The 6-foot-9 graduate transfer averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 33.6 minutes per game at UAB last season. He’ll have one year of eligibility remaining at Michigan.

Lendeborg was projected as a late-first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. At the NBA Draft Combine, he told reporters he was looking for a promise or guarantee regarding his draft standing to stay in the draft.

READ MORE: What it means: Yaxel Lendeborg to Michigan

“I was a fan of Dusty’s since he was at FAU, you know, I’ve been a big fan,” Lendeborg told reporters at the NBA Draft Combine. “And from the jump, he was expressing to me that he’s willing to wait while I go through this NBA Combine process. Other teams weren’t saying the same thing. They were willing to outbid the NBA, and I wasn’t messing with that. I wanted a school that was gonna rock with me from the beginning to the end, and that was Dusty.”

Instead, he’ll be the highest-profile transfer in Michigan’s incoming class, joining North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau, Illinois big man Morez Johnson Jr., and UCLA big man Aday Mara. With Lendeborg in the fold, the Wolverines are ranked by most outlets as a preseason top-ten team.

Dusty May Promo!

Join UM Hoops today and be covered through the next season for just $32! Use the promo code DUSTY to unlock our content and join our community today!

Join Today

Lendeborg is one of the most productive returning players in college basketball, and his versatility should help Michigan fill the void left by Danny Wolf’s departure. Lendeborg is an elite rebounder, passer, and all-around scorer. He led UAB in every stat category and led the country in double-doubles.

His journey to Michigan began in junior college, where he was a two-time All-American at Arizona Western. In two years at UAB, he was named All-AAC First Team and Defensive Player of the Year in both seasons.