First-round draft pick Yaxel Lendeborg is expected to withdraw from the 2025 NBA draft
He announced Tuesday that he will withdraw his name from the 2025 NBA Draft and spend his final college season at Michigan.
“While it was and remains my dream of playing in the NBA, I feel that it will be very beneficial to develop and grow as a player and the people I will get at the University of Michigan,” Lendeborg told ESPN.
Yaxel Lendeborg wins AAC Defensive Player of the Year twice
In 37 games last season, Lendeborg averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 52.2% from the floor and 35.7% from the field from the 3-point field.
The 6-foot-9 Lundburg has been named Defensive Player of the Year and All-AAC for the past two seasons. He led the AAC (420), offensive rebounds (137), defensive committee (283) and blocks (66) in the 2024-25 campaign.
Break In: Michigan State promises Yaxel Lendeborg is exiting the NBA Draft and will play for Dusty May and Wolverines next season. @on3sports.
Lendeborg is the number one player in the portal, with an average of 17.7 points per game, 11.4 Reb and 4.2 AST, this season in… pic.twitter.com/gsowrhnmej
— Joe Tipton (@tiptonedits) May 27, 2025
Additionally, Lendeborg scored 2 points (213), player efficiency rating (29.8), win stocks (7.1), defensive victory stocks (2.3) and Box Plus/Minus (11.2).
Lendeborg also helped UAB to the NIT quarterfinals and became one of only two players in I division history, scoring at least 600 points, 400 rebounds and 150 assists in a season and joining Larry Bird.
“I want to thank May and the staff for allowing me to complete this process without any stress, and the Champions Circle Collective aims to help achieve this opportunity, and all the NBA teams I work for, let me experience the process upfront,” Lendeborg said.
Lendeborg is the first NCAA transfer portal
Lendeborg, 22, is the No. 1 big man in the NCAA transfer portal, committed to coach Dusty May in early April. Over the past six weeks, he has explored the NBA draft process, participated in the NBA draft and private team workouts.
He will replace the 7-foot-tall Danny Wolf, an expected top 20 draft pick, about to score a breakthrough in Michigan’s breakthrough season, in which he played the role of point guard, power forward and center.
Of course, Lendeborg hopes to replicate Wolf’s success in the system in May.
“It’s amazing what Dusty May did to Danny Wolf,” Lundborg said. “I’ll watch him play this season and say, ‘Man, I hope that’s me.’ I’m trying to bring the same kind of versatility he brings to Michigan.”
Michigan added three top transfers to North Carolina point guard Elliot Cadeau, Illinois big shot Morez Johnson and UCLA’s Aday Mara, and freshman Wing and McDonald’s All-American Trey McKenney.
The deadline for NCAA players to withdraw from the NBA Draft and maintain college qualification is 11:59 PM ET.
