The Michigan standout brings defensive grit and All-American honors to Dallas for a high-stakes workout, eyeing a dream partnership with childhood idol Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg.
DALLAS - What would Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg bring to Big D if he ends up being the Dallas Mavericks' pick in the NBA Draft at slot No. 9 overall?
A combination of "love'' and "hate.''
Buzz around Dallas' pick suggests the team might be drafting a guard to pair with rehabbing Kyrie Irving in the backcourt and Cooper Flagg manning the wing.
However, this spot in the draft might lend Dallas many interesting front-court names, and one in particular grew up idolizing the Mavs' star point guard.
Lendeborg recently addressed his workout tour, which has included visits to Dallas as well as sessions with the Warriors, Thunder, Heat, Bulls, Bucks and Hornets.
Those sessions in advance of the June 23 draft, which also feature other prospects, is where the "hate'' comes in to play.
Said Lendeborg: “It’s fun being able to compete with such high-level guys. I try not to keep the hatred that I had for those guys I played against during the season, but it’s really nice being able to switch it and learn about those other guys and just go out there and compete.”
Additionally ... there is "love'' for the Mavs.
Lendeborg spoke with NBA.com in Chicago at the draft combine and shared how he grew up rooting for Irving in his youth. They both attended high school in New Jersey.
"My favorite player growing up was Kyrie Irving," Lendeborg said. "So I’m a big fan of him."
A native of Pennsauken, New Jersey, Lendeborg is a projected lottery pick after a national-championship season with the Wolverines, in which he took home Big Ten Player of the Year and All-American honors. Lendeborg averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists on over 50 percent shooting this past season.
With Irving coming back from his year sidelined with a knee injury, Dallas will also be bringing back center Dereck Lively II after he missed most of the year with foot complications.
Adding Lendeborg, a 6-9, 230-pound force with potential on both ends of the floor, would be a welcome piece to say the least.
And he's expressed an obvious interest in playing next to Flagg. I mean, who wouldn't?
"Cooper Flagg is a generational talent, so I feel like playing alongside him would be great," Lendeborg said. "I feel like we complement each other very well. We’re two bigger guard/wing kind of players that can switch and just cause havoc wherever we are.
"It’ll be very exciting to play with those two guys."
Lendeborg starred in his one season in Ann Arbor after a three-year stint in the junior college ranks and two seasons at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He'll be among the older NBA Draft prospects in this year's class, but also among the most experienced in a variety of systems.
"I learned so much this past year," Lendeborg said. "This year at Michigan was pretty much trial and error with everything I did - press conferences, post games. I’ve learned what to say, what I can’t say, actions that I can’t do.
"If I didn’t have the extra year, who knows what this year would have been like for me. Maybe I would have been stuck in a position I didn’t want to be, or maybe I would have played myself out of the league."
Lendeborg put those worries to rest on the floor for the Wolverines. Now, it'll make him a first-round pick. He said he gained most of his knowledge this season from Michigan coach Dusty May, which is another interesting storyline considering he's been among the few college names mentioned in speculation about the Mavericks' head coach search.
Wherever he ends up, Lendeborg says he hopes to bring versatility and an unselfish spirit to his new organization.
" I’m one of those guys that no matter how it’s going for me I’m always for No. 1, and that’s what’s best for the team’s success," he said. "If I go out there and I score two buckets and we win that game, I’m happy.''
