With the recent ups-and-downs of the Miami Heat, their upcoming first-round draft selection could be expected to sit inside the lottery. This draft class is expected by experts to be one of the deepest in recent memory.
Bleacher Report released their updated first-round mock draft after the conclusion of the NCAA tournament. In their projection, Miami holds the No. 13 selection, just inside the lottery and selects Michigan Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg. In the article, Lendeborg is handed a pro comparison of Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, a longtime veteran who has been an all-around type of player through his stints with the Orlando Magic and Nuggets.
"NBA teams weren't going to learn anything new about a healthy Yaxel Lendeborg in the Final Four," the article wrote. "If anything, he may have earned bonus points for competitiveness, playing 36 minutes on a bad knee. His offensive versatility has been on NBA radars for years, and his production at UAB has been officially validated by his impact for the national champion Wolverines. An improved shooter and defender who passes and rebounds, Lendeborg should look highly adaptable and easy to fit for most NBA teams."
Michigan's season ended very well as they clinched the National Championship on Monday night and Lendeborg was viewed as the No. 1 option on the team. He had been injured after spraining his MCL on Saturday against Arizona but played 36 minutes in the championship game. This season, he put up 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting an efficient 51.5 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from beyond the arc. Lendeborg was originally unranked as a high school recruit before his stops at Arizona Western and UAB. However, entering this season, he was viewed as the No. 1 transfer available in the portal before joining the Wolverines.
If the Miami Heat decide to trade Andrew Wiggins or Kel'el Ware, Lendeborg could be a logical target in the draft. Wiggins has a $30 million player option he can opt into this offseason. That salary could still be viewed as a trade piece and Ware could be moved as well as part of a bigger trade. At 6'9", Lendeborg could fit in either forward position or potentially even play small-ball center. The flexibilities are a big part of his game.
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