Lendeborg Talks About Decision To Forego NBA Draft To Play For Michigan

By Steve Irvine

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - May 29, 2025

Yaxel Lendeborg’s final college basketball season won’t come in a UAB uniform.

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound Lendeborg, who developed into one of most versatile players in college basketball in two seasons under Andy Kennedy at UAB, announced on Tuesday that he is taking his name out of the 2025 NBA Draft to play his final collegiate season at Michigan. Lendeborg committed to Michigan in early April but continued to go through the NBA Draft evaluation process. He made the decision on Monday night, just after finishing his final individual workout with a NBA organization.

“When I working out with NBA teams, working through that whole process talking with teams, they pretty much assured me, or reassured me, that even if I was to go to Michigan, the majority of them would still be with me and it wouldn’t hurt my draft stock,” Lendeborg said. “I wouldn’t say I wasn’t ready to go into the draft, but skill wise I don’t know if I would be as productive as I think I am. Pretty much what decided it was teams telling me I could still get drafted in the same spot or better if I go polish my game.”

Lendeborg said he had interviews with personnel from about 15 NBA teams and he traveled for eight individual workouts. Sacramento was the lone team he worked out for that did not have a first round pick. He also took part in the NBA Draft combine in Chicago, where he made a good impression.

He paid attention to draft prognostications, which for the most part had him slotted late in the first round but knew those predictions determined nothing. He said he focused on working on his game and listening to the people who actually made the decisions. Ultimately, he didn’t hear exactly what he needed to stay in the draft.

“It was sort of a very clear decision for me because nobody really promised or guaranteed me that first round,” Lendeborg said. “There were a lot saying I would be first round but none would guarantee it was them at that moment.”

Lendeborg believes that after another year of growth as a player, this time after stepping up a level to Michigan, he will have that guarantee as a first round pick. It will be the final college step in an incredible and what has become a well-documented journey to this point. He played in just 11 high school games in Pennsauken, New Jersey before finding his way to Arizona Western College in Yuma. He became one of the top junior college players in the country before taking his game to another level under Andy Kennedy at UAB. He also left UAB with a college degree.

“What UAB means to Yax is way more than what people will ever know. Way more," said former UAB standout Aaron Johnson, who was on the UAB staff the past few years and has served as Lendeborg’s mentor through this process.

After his decision, there was anger among some UAB fans that Lendeborg chose another college instead of jumping to professional basketball. He admitted to being bothered by some of what he read and heard.

“Honestly, I felt so warmed and welcomed by UAB fans because they made my time at UAB a lot better,” Lendeborg said. “You know, there were some (tough) things that happened when I was at UAB but the fans are really something I could say didn’t let me down. If those fans really gave up on me, it’s going to be a really sad feeling for me. It’s going to hit home for me. But, I’ll always be a UAB Blazer. I’m proud of it.”