Yaxel Lendeborg commits to Michigan while staying open to NBA

Former UAB forward and No. 1 player in the transfer portal Yaxel Lendeborg has committed to Michigan. The 6-foot-9, 240 pound senior averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.7 steals per game this season.

According to ESPN, Lendeborg is keeping his name in the NBA draft in hopes of finding a guaranteed contract. He has one season of eligibility left.

Michigan basketball lands top player in transfer portal

Lendeborg played two seasons at the JUCO level and was a two-time NJCAA All-American at Arizona Western College. Over two seasons at UAB he started 68 games, including all 37 this season.

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Lendeborg led the NCAA in double-doubles this season (26) and was named AAC Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row. He also broke the UAB single-season record for rebounds with 420. If Lendeborg decides to stay in college and don the maize and blue, he could slide into the role of Danny Wolf and be closer to a point forward than a power forward. 

In the AAC tournament quarterfinals, Lendeborg put up 30 points, 20 rebounds, eight assists, five steals and four blocks.

While at UAB, Lendeborg shot 51.8 percent from the field, 34.9 percent from three and 77.8 percent from the free throw line. With similar numbers in the Big Ten, he could be a top-10 pick in 2026.

Although it won’t be official until the NBA draft process is over, Lendeborg is the third player to join Michigan from the transfer portal along with forward Morez Johnson Jr. (Illinois) and guard Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina). Unfortunately for Michigan fans, guaranteed contracts are far from rare in the NBA, and if a team likes Lendeborg enough, he’ll get one.

More: Michigan loses starting guard Tre Donaldson in transfer portal

Head coach Dusty May and the Wolverines have until April 22 to finalize their spring transfers.

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