Michigan forward and Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg will join Steph Curry out in Oakland as the Golden State Warriors draft him with the 11th overall pick in the NBA Draft.
Leading up to the 2026 NBA Draft, some talking heads thought that former Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg was a bit too old to take in the top half of the draft. Well, one of the best young general managers in the entire association just took the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year just outside of the top ten. Mike Dunleavy Jr. decided that Yax was plenty good to take at No. 11 and now the 6-9 wing will suit up in Golden State.
Former Michigan head coach Dusty May is now the head man for the Dallas Mavericks but during his time in Ann Arbor, he always said great things about Lendeborg and anyone who watched the Wolverines this year knows that Yax is a big reason why the Wolverines are national champs. Just after winning the title, May joined the Rich Eisen Show and made some big time declarations about Lendeborg.
“He’s just scratching the surface," May said. "I go to a lot of NBA games… Every time I leave, I say, ‘he is an NBA rotational guy or starter now on a good team.’ He’s smart, he can defend multiple positions. He can play multiple positions on the other side of the ball.”
May also praised Lendeborg for the type of person he is. That's a huge selling point when it comes to drafting a young guy and you can bet that Dunleavy Jr. knew all about Yax off the court when deciding to take him at No. 12.
“It is special because he just has a good heart and he is open to everyone,” May said. “He will go and sign autographs for an hour or two hours. Typically, guys walk out, sign a couple and keep it moving. He literally would've stayed in the arena last night and signed 80,000 autographs if someone wouldn’t have rescued him from that."
At 23 years old, Lendeborg is old by NBA rookie standards, but that didn't scare off the Warriors and it shouldn't. When steps onto the floor, the first thing that stands out isn't necessarily one elite skill, but rather how many different ways he can impact a game.
At 6-9 with a long frame, athleticism, and a versatile skill set, Lendeborg plays like the modern positionless forward every NBA coach is searching for. He can rebound like a center, handle the ball like a wing, facilitate offense, and defend multiple positions. Few players in college basketball enter the season with a more complete all-around game.
Another thing that makes Lendeborg particularly intriguing is the path he took to get to the NBA. He wasn't a five-star prospect coming out of high school and he didn't start at a blue blood program in college. Instead, he developed into one of the most productive players in the country through relentless improvement and a willingness to do whatever his team needed, on and off the court. That mentality shows up every possession and during practice according to May. Whether it's grabbing a defensive rebound and pushing the break himself, finding an open teammate from the high post, rotating over to protect the rim or simply giving it his all during drills and team scrimmages, Lendeborg's game is built around making winning plays. That's why he'll fit in perfectly with a winning franchise like the Warriors.
