Michigan landed best transfer portal player in college basketball, but he might never play for them

The college basketball transfer portal is already popping, and some early winners are emerging on the men’s side. Louisville added three great perimeter players to go along with incoming five-star recruit Mikel Brown Jr. to potentially emerge as a top-10 team next season. North Carolina hit it big by getting a commitment from former Arizona 7-footer Henri Veesaar. The Michigan Wolverines already had a good class going two major commitments, and now they’ve landed an even bigger star.

Yaxel Lendeborg committed to Michigan on Saturday morning, according to multiple reports. Lendeborg was one of the best players in college basketball this year at UAB. The 6’9 big man led the Blazers in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, but his team still missed the NCAA tournament after losing in the AAC tournament title game to Memphis. Lendeborg put his name in the transfer portal, and was ranked as the No. 1 player available.

He joins head coach Dusty May’s transfer portal haul, which already includes former Illinois big man Morez Johnson and former North Carolina point guard Elliot Cadeau. The Wolverines are looking stacked for next season coming off a Sweet 16 run, but only if they actually get Lendeborg on campus.

Lendeborg also announced he’s putting his name in the 2025 NBA Draft. He told ESPN insider Jonathan Givony that he’s seeking a guaranteed contract to keep his name in the draft. First-round draft picks are automatically given guaranteed contracts, and some second-round picks negotiate them, too.

Lendeborg did not appear in the first-round of our latest 2025 NBA mock draft. He’s the No. 28 overall player on ESPN’s board.

Lendeborg has a combination of size, power, athleticism, and skill that made him almost unguardable in college basketball this past season. At 6’9, 240 pounds, he’s a skilled interior scorer (17.7 points per game), a great rebounder (11.4 per game), a gifted passer (4.2 assists per game), and a defensive presence who can block shots and get into the passing lanes. He even hit 35.7 percent of his three-pointers on 70 attempts this season.

Michigan turned Danny Wolf into a potential first-round pick this year by letting the big man handle primary playmaking duties. It’s easy to imagine Lendeborg in a similar role, if not as the team’s de facto point guard, then at least as their lead decision-maker.

Lendeborg will be considered one of the best players in college basketball next season if he’s not in the NBA. He’ll have to prove himself at the NBA Draft Combine, which runs from May 11-18.

Michigan is tracking as a potential top-5 team next season with Lendeborg. Will he actually be on campus? The NBA Draft withdrawal deadline isn’t until June 15, so Michigan will be waiting a while.