Yaxel Lendeborg will hold off on his NBA career. The projected first-round pick will withdraw from the 2025 NBA Draft and instead enroll at Michigan, per ESPN. Lendeborg played for UAB from 2023 to 2025 and heads to the Wolverines through the transfer portal.
The 22-year-old explained his reasoning for playing college ball for another year, saying it’s about improving on and off the court.
“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 said. “I’d like to thank (Michigan 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 pre-draft process. Go Blue.”
Lendenborg was the AAC Tournament MVP in 2024 and earned first-team All-AAC and AAC Defensive Player of the Year each of the last two seasons.
Players have until Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET to withdraw from the NBA Draft and maintain college eligibility under the NCAA deadline.
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