No. 1 CBB Transfer Yaxel Lendeborg Withdraws from 2025 NBA Draft, Commits to Michigan

Former UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg is removing his name from the 2025 NBA draft and transferring to Michigan.

"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," he said to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

Lendeborg is the No. 1 player in 247Sports' transfer portal rankings. He averaged 15.8 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in his two years with the Blazers. He also shot 51.8 percent overall and 34.9 percent from beyond the arc.

In his most recent mock draft, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman had Lendeborg going 30th overall to the Los Angeles Clippers.

"At 6'9", 240 pounds, the versatility to attack, finish plays, pass, get second-chance points and make plays defensively should lower the bar when it comes to his shooting," Wasserman wrote. "And it's still not out of the question that he can develop into a capable catch-and-shoot threat. His 25 made threes are almost twice as many as he hit last season."

Thanks to a strong showing at the NBA Draft Combine, it looked like the odds of Lendeborg being a first-round pick were only going up. This is another example of how the college basketball and draft landscapes have evolved thanks to NIL endorsements.

Lendeborg likely believes he can strengthen his stock with one season in Ann Arbor, too. Speaking to Givony, he pointed to Danny Wolf, who put up 13.2 points and 9.7 boards in 2024-25 with the Wolverines after transferring in from Yale, as an example for himself next year.

"It's amazing what Dusty May did with Danny Wolf," he 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 signed 5-star guard Trey McKenney and 4-star small forward Winters Grady, with Lendeborg, former UCLA center Aday Mara, former Illinois forward Morez Johnson Jr. and former North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau arriving through the portal.

The Wolverines went 27-10 and reached the Sweet 16 in May's first season at the helm. The 2025-26 campaign is shaping up to be even better with all of the talent that's incoming.