Yaxel Lendeborg Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Yaxel Lendeborg Withdrawing From Draft, Transferring To Michigan

May 27th, 2025 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

Yaxel Lendeborg, projected to be a first-round pick next month, is withdrawing from the 2025 NBA draft and transferring from UAB to Michigan, he tells Jonathan Givony and Shams Charania of ESPN.

“While it’s been and still is a dream of mine to play in the NBA, I feel the development and growth as a player and a person I will gain at the University of Michigan will be very beneficial,” Lendeborg explained to ESPN.

There will be no shortage of college early entrants pulling out of the NBA draft ahead of the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline on Wednesday, but Lendeborg will almost certainly be one of the highest-rated prospects to forgo the professional route. He had been listed as the No. 26 overall prospect on ESPN’s 2025 big board and was also the 26th player selected in the site’s most recent mock draft.

[RELATED: 2025 NBA Draft Early Entrants List]

A 6’9″ forward, Lendeborg made the All-AAC first team in 2024 and 2025 and was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in both seasons as well. As a senior this past season, he averaged 17.7 points, a conference-leading 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.7 steals in 33.6 minutes per game across 37 outings (all starts). He posted a strong shooting line of .522/.357/.757.

According to Givony, Lendeborg joined elite company by registering at least 600 points, 400 rebounds, and 150 assists a single season in 2024/25 — Larry Bird is the only other player in Division I history to accomplish that feat.

Lendeborg has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining before becoming automatically draft-eligible in 2026. He told ESPN that he got excited about the idea of joining the Wolverines after seeing how they deployed big man Danny Wolf as a ball-handler and facilitator.

“It’s amazing what Dusty May did with Danny Wolf,” Lendeborg said. “I would watch his games this season and say, ‘Man, I wish that was me.’ I’m trying to bring the same type of versatility he brought to Michigan.”

Draft Notes: Lendeborg, Kings, Beringer, Knox, Mock

May 22nd, 2025 at 5:18pm CST by Rory Maher

Former UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who reportedly has a lucrative offer on the table to transfer to Michigan if he opts to return to college, is among the prospects who will be working out for the Kings on Friday, tweets James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com.

Lendeborg comes in at No. 26 on ESPN’s best available prospects list, making him a possible late first-round pick. Interestingly, Sacramento currently only controls a second-rounder — No. 42 overall — in June’s draft.

While there have been no reports (that we’re aware of) to this point indicating the Kings are interested in acquiring an earlier selection, it also wouldn’t be surprising at all if they do — there are always teams on the hunt for young players on cost-controlled contracts. For what it’s worth, the Nets — who have a league-high five picks (all in the top 36) — are expected to be active in trade talks around the draft.

The other five prospects joining Lendeborg on Friday will be Zakai Zeigler (Tennessee), RJ Felton (East Carolina), Ben Henshall (Perth), Cameron Matthews (Mississippi State) and Jalon Moore (Oklahoma). Henshall (No. 63) and Moore (No. 73) also appear on ESPN’s big board, while the other players do not.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

French center Joan Beringer, a late bloomer who is the third-youngest player in the 2025 class, is drawing late-lottery interest, sources tell Grant Afseth of RG.org. The 18-year-old big man comes in at No. 16 on ESPN’s board. According to Afseth, scouts have pegged the Hawks (No. 13) as a potential fit, since Clint Capela is an unrestricted free agent and the team could be looking for a younger option at backup center behind Onyeka Okongwu.
Guard Kobe Knox is withdrawing from the draft and will transfer to South Carolina for his senior season, reports Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Knox is the younger brother of Warriors forward Kevin Knox and the older brother of early entrant Karter Knox. The middle Knox brother averaged 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals on .463/.331/.767 shooting in 30 games in 2024/25 with South Florida (28.6 minutes per contest).
Cyro Asseo de Choch of HoopsHype recently released the website’s latest aggregate mock draft, which compiles 10 mock drafts from various outlets for a composite ranking. The aggregate mock also features a scouting report on each prospect in the first round.

Fischer’s Latest: Cavs, Rockets, Hawks, Blazers, Draft

May 16th, 2025 at 2:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers avoided the luxury tax this season when they sent Caris LeVert and Georges Niang to Atlanta at the trade deadline in a deal for De’Andre Hunter, which allowed them to duck below the tax threshold by less than $1MM. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), that move was widely viewed as one intended to create financial flexibility for the Cavs going forward, rather than as part of a directive to cut costs.

The Cavaliers’ salary projects to soar well into apron territory beginning in 2025/26, and while the team presumably has some sort of upper limit for how much it’s willing to spend in a given season, Dan Gilbert has been portrayed as an owner who is comfortable paying tax penalties as long as the club is a legitimate contender, according to Fischer.

Despite Cleveland’s second-round playoff exit, the club presumably still views itself as a contender on the heels of a 64-win season, Fischer notes. That means it appears safe to assume the Cavs will operate above the luxury tax line for the foreseeable future, with future repeater penalties pushed down the road by an extra year as a result of avoiding the tax this season.

Here’s more from Fischer:

Rival teams expect the Rockets to explore trading the No. 10 overall pick in this year’s draft for win-now talent, according to Fischer, who notes that last year’s No. 3 pick Reed Sheppard couldn’t break into Houston’s regular rotation during his first season. People around the league are skeptical the Rockets will be looking to add another lottery-pick rookie to the mix as the club looks to take the next step toward title contention.
Although the Hawks continue to seek a new head of basketball operations and have arranged interviews with some candidates, there’s still a chance that Atlanta opts not to make an additional hire after dismissing Landry Fields and promoting Onsi Saleh to general manager, sources tell Fischer. There is already reportedly no shortage of executives who have a voice in Atlanta’s personnel decisions, as we detailed last month.
In addition to reiterating that the Pelicans would be a potential facilitator to watch in the event of a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade request, Fischer points to the Trail Blazers as another team to monitor in that scenario. While New Orleans controls Milwaukee’s 2026 and 2027 first-round picks via swap rights, Portland will be in that position from 2028-30, so if the Bucks want to regain control of their own drafts, they’d have to deal with one or both of those clubs.
Yaxel Lendeborg, Miles Byrd, Cedric Coward, and Karter Knox are among the prospects testing the draft waters whose decisions are being “eagerly awaited” by NBA teams, Fischer writes. According to Fischer, all four players have multi-million-dollar NIL offers on the table if they return to college, including a $3MM+ offer from Michigan for Lendeborg. They have until May 28 to decide whether to keep their names in the draft pool or withdraw.
In case you missed it, Fischer reported that there’s a “rising expectation” Myles Turner will re-sign with the Pacers, as we covered in a separate story.

Draft Notes: Combine Standouts, Raynaud, Yang, Luis, Watkins

May 15th, 2025 at 5:37pm CST by Earnest Marshall

The scrimmages at this year’s draft combine are seemingly more cohesive than in year’s past, with several prospects standing out due to their selfless play, according to a team of ESPN’s NBA insiders. Stanford forward Maxime Raynaud was the most impactful standout of day two of the combine in ESPN’s view, showing impressive ball-handling, three-point shooting and facilitating at 7’0″.

Having stood out during the first set of scrimmages that took place on day two, Raynaud elected to shut down scrimmaging for the third day of the combine, per Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman (Twitter link). After scoring 20 points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes, Raynaud’s team must feel his draft stock is secure. He’s listed at No. 34 on ESPN’s best available list.

The ESPN crew identifies a long list of standouts, including UAB’s Yaxel Lendeborg and Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford. It’s worth monitoring the status of Lendeborg, who looked strong on the defensive end, given that he has indicated he would need a firm promise to stay in the class. Pettiford, meanwhile, ended up as the leading scorer for the day with 23 points to go along with eight assists.

A pair of players from Australia’s NBL made their mark in scrimmages too, as Alex Toohey and Lachlan Olbrich held their own. Olbrich was a call-up from the G League Elite camp and scored 15 points while making all but one of his eight shot attempts.

We have more from the draft:

Chinese center Hansen Yang came into the draft process a relative unknown by outsiders, but he’s making his mark at the combine. According to ESPN, Yang was also one of the top performers from day two, matching up and holding his own against Michigan big man Vladislav Goldin. Yang is taking in the draft process and expressed excitement about the opportunity he has in front of him, according to the AP’s Tim Reynolds. “He really feels happiness here,” Chris Liu, Yang’s interpreter, said. “And then, he’s really willing to compete with everyone and against everyone. He really enjoyed that.” Yang currently sits at No. 67 on ESPN’s board.
St. John’s guard RJ Luis said he’s “all-in” on the NBA draft, according to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello (Twitter link). Luis is technically still in the transfer portal but said he hasn’t spoken to any college coaches yet and isn’t thinking about that at the time. Luis averaged 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds last year as a junior. Luis ranks 62nd on ESPN’s board.
Florida State’s Jamir Watkins made a big impact on the third day of the combine, according to ESPN’s Jon Chepkevich (Twitter link). In the first scrimmage of the day, Watkins recorded 23 points, four rebounds, four assists and five steals, helping himself showcase his two-way ability. He’s currently ranked No. 65 on ESPN’s big board.

Draft Notes: Sorber, Bryant, Powell, Philon, More

May 14th, 2025 at 7:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

In an interview with college basketball reporter Andy Katz (Twitter video link), Georgetown big man Thomas Sorber said he has made up his mind to keep his name in the NBA draft.

Sorber maintained his eligibility when he declared for the draft in late March. He’ll have to miss much of the pre-draft process because he’s still recovering after undergoing foot surgery in February. That led to speculation that Sorber might opt for another year of college basketball, but he tells Katz that he’s “all in” when it comes to the draft.

Sorber also provided an update on his medical status, saying that doctors expect him to be ready to resume playing in late July or early August.

Sorber is ranked 23rd on ESPN’s big board and seems likely to be selected somewhere in the latter part of the first round. He wasn’t considered a sure-fire first-round pick when he arrived at Georgetown, but he boosted his status with a strong freshman season, averaging 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks in 24 games before the injury.

“I think I showed a lot of toughness, like at an early part of my Georgetown career,” Sorber said. “I showed a lot of fight. I was able to show how I was able to read the game. That’s what a lot of teams said. And my ability to play out on defense, my ability to block shots, read screens, tighter drop or switch. They just like my quick thinking, honestly.”

We have updates on several other draft prospects:

Arizona guard Carter Bryant has also decided to stay in the draft, telling ESPN’s Jeff Borzello (Twitter link), “I’m completely in.” Bryant saw limited playing time with the Wildcats during his freshman season, but his defensive prowess and outside shooting have him projected as a potential lottery pick in several mock drafts. He’s listed as the 18th-best prospect by ESPN.
Borzello also reports that North Carolina guard Drake Powell, who posted outstanding numbers in his athletic tests at the combine, will remain in the draft (Twitter link). “All-in on the draft. Door’s closed,” said Powell, who’s 32nd in ESPN’s rankings. “(Coach) Hubert Davis has been very supportive during this process. I’ve known him for a long time … and he’s just happy for me.”
Alabama guard Labaron Philon will also keep his name in the draft, Borzello states in a full story. Philon, who’s 43rd on ESPN’s list, said he’s “all-in on the draft” and has already informed coach Nate Oats.
Former Washington State guard Cedric Coward, who plans to transfer to Duke if he remains in college, and Florida big man Alex Condon will both gauge their feedback at the combine before making final decisions, according to Borzello.
Yaxel Lendeborg, who’s transferring from UAB to Michigan, is “pretty even” about staying in the draft or not, Borzello adds. Lendeborg hopes to be a top-20 pick and said his decision will become easier if he doesn’t feel like he’s in that range.
Houston’s Milos Uzan told reporters at the combine that he’s “all-in on the draft,” but Borzello states that coach Kelvin Sampson is giving all his players the option to return if they don’t like their projected draft status.
Tahaad Pettiford is one of the top players taking part in the combine scrimmages, and Borzello views him as a player on the rise. The Auburn point guard, who’s ranked 38th by ESPN, said he would like to receive a first-round guarantee before making a final decision.

Draft Notes: Fland, Combine, Coward, Knueppel, Markovic

May 14th, 2025 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Guard Boogie Fland, who entered the 2025 NBA draft pool following his freshman year at Arkansas, has decided to withdraw his name from this year’s list of early entrants, agent Mike Miller told Jonathan Givony of ESPN (story via ESPN’s Jeff Borzello).

Fland, the No. 42 prospect on ESPN’s big board of 2025 prospects, had been in attendance at this week’s draft combine in Chicago but won’t take part in the rest of the event. Instead, he’ll shift his focus to the NCAA transfer portal, which he entered earlier this spring while testing the draft waters.

According to Borzello, there has been “significant buzz” about the possibility of Fland transferring to Florida for his sophomore season. A strong showing at the college level in 2025/26 could improve his standing for the 2026 NBA draft if he decides to declare as an early entrant again next spring.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

In another story for ESPN.com, Givony, Jeremy Woo, and Jeff Borzello share their draft combine takeaways from Tuesday, identifying Yaxel Lendeborg, Drake Powell, Chaz Lanier, Mark Sears, and Tre Johnson as some of the day-one standouts while noting that Cedric Coward is generating some buzz among NBA personnel as a potential first-round pick. Coward is currently at No. 35 on ESPN’s board.
Duke’s Kon Knueppel, a projected lottery pick, didn’t take part in the athletic testing or shooting drills at the combine beacuse he sprained his ankle a few weeks ago and is “not all the way back yet,” agent Mark Bartelstein tells Givony (Twitter link). “He’s at 85% now and we want him at 100%,” Bartelstein said. “He’s really close. Hopefully, he’s back by the end of the week and can participate in our pro day Friday.” As Givony points out, the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement requires Knueppel to complete the athletic testing and shooting drills at a later date at a team facility.
Serbian prospect Bogoljub Markovic, who was forced to miss the draft combine because he was still playing for Mega Basket, recently sprained his ankle, which will sideline him for the quarterfinals of the ABA League playoffs, per Givony (Twitter links). However, Markovic still intends to attend the European combine in Treviso in early June and then travel stateside to work out for NBA teams ahead of the draft.

Draft Notes: Flagg, NIL, Combine, Lakhin, International Prospects

May 12th, 2025 at 3:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Cooper Flagg is as close to a lock to go number one in the 2025 draft as any non-Victor Wembanyama prospect can be, writes Sam Vecenie for The Athletic. In breaking down Flagg’s potential fit with all of this year’s lottery teams, Vecenie illustrates how the 18-year-old’s well-rounded skill set on both sides of the ball will allow him to slot in seamlessly with just about every team construction.

In his breakdown, Vecenie writes that the Pelicans and Raptors are the only rosters in the lottery that could make for a questionable fit, given that the two teams are already primarily built around a plethora of wings and forwards.

Still, Vecenie emphasizes that questions around fit are secondary to adding the level of talent Flagg promises, so even those two teams shouldn’t hesitate to take the 6’8″ forward if the opportunity presents itself. However, that scenario might necessitate a trade involving one or more of the incumbent forwards already rostered.

Draft Notes: NBAGL Elite Camp, Niederhauser, Combine, Ruzic

May 10th, 2025 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Malique Lewis (South East Melbourne), Amari Williams (Kentucky), Caleb Love (Arizona), Caleb Grill (Missouri), and Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Penn State) are among the top prospects teams will be watching at this weekend’s G League Elite Camp in Chicago, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

The standout players at the G League event typically earn invitations to the full-fledged combine that will take place this coming week. Givony expects about five-to-eight prospects to move on, noting that players like Terance Mann, Cody Martin, and Aaron Wiggins have gotten “called up” from the Elite Camp to the combine in the past before going on to establish themselves in the NBA.

According to Jon Chepkevich of Rookie Scale (Twitter link), Niederhauser has been the “early star” of the G League Elite Camp, racking up 17 points, four rebounds, and a pair of blocks in the first scrimmage. The Penn State forward looks like a safe bet to be among the players who advance to the combine, Chepkevich adds.

Missouri’s Tamar Bates led all scorers in the first Elite Camp scrimmage with 19 points. The full stats can be viewed here (via Twitter).

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com identifies Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB), Boogie Fland (Arkansas), Darrion Williams (Texas Tech), Rocco Zikarsky (Brisbane), and Miles Byrd (San Diego State) as five prospects to monitor at the combine, noting that they still have the option of withdrawing if they don’t have strong showings this week.
Lendeborg, the No. 26 prospect on ESPN’s big board, has committed to transferring to Michigan and may only decide to turn pro if he draws serious first-round interest from a specific NBA team or teams, Woo writes, since he can make “excellent” money if he spends 2025/26 with the Wolverines.
PJ Haggerty, Jamir Watkins, and RJ Luis Jr. are three more NCAA prospects whose performances at the combine will be of particular interest to college teams, Givony notes in the same story. In addition to testing the draft waters, all three players are in the transfer portal and haven’t yet committed to a new school, so they’ll be popular targets if they opt not to remain in the draft pool.
Although Joventut Badalona’s season isn’t over yet, Croatian power forward Michael Ruzic, who plays for the Spanish club, has been cleared to attend the NBA’s draft combine this week and will be a full participant in 5×5 scrimmages, agent Bill Duffy tells Givony (Twitter link). Ruzic missed significant time due to a thumb injury this season and has played a limited role when healthy, so the Chicago combine will give NBA evaluators an opportunity to take an extended first-hand look at a prospect who ranks 49th overall on ESPN’s board.

NBA Announces 75 Invitees For 2025 Draft Combine

May 2nd, 2025 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA announced today (via Twitter) that 75 prospects have been invited to attend this year’s draft combine, which will take place in Chicago from May 11-18.

In addition to those 75 players, a handful of standout players from the G League Elite Camp, which is also held in Chicago just before the combine begins, are expected to receive invites to stick around for the main event.

Not all of the prospects invited to the combine will end up remaining in the 2025 draft pool, since many are early entrants who are testing the waters while retaining their NCAA eligibility.

College players must withdraw from the draft by the end of the day on May 28 if they wish to preserve that eligibility, while non-college players face a decision deadline of June 15. The feedback they receive from NBA teams at the combine may be a deciding factor for players who are on the fence.

Here’s the list of players who have been invited to the 2025 draft combine:

(Note: For players in international leagues, the country listed is where they had been playing, not necessarily where they’re from.)

Izan Almansa, F/C, Australia (born 2005)
Neoklis Avdalas, G/F, Greece (born 2006)
Ace Bailey, G/F, Rutgers (freshman)
Joan Beringer, C, Slovenia (born 2006)
Koby Brea, G, Kentucky (senior)
Johni Broome, F/C, Auburn (senior)
Carter Bryant, F, Arizona (freshman)
Miles Byrd, G, San Diego State (sophomore)
Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida (senior)
Nique Clifford, G, Colorado State (senior)
Alex Condon, F/C, Florida (sophomore)
Cedric Coward, F, Washington State (senior)
Egor Demin, G, BYU (freshman)
Eric Dixon, F, Villanova (senior)
V.J. Edgecombe, G, Baylor (freshman)
Noa Essengue, F, Germany (born 2006)
Isaiah Evans, G/F, Duke (freshman)
Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma (freshman)
Cooper Flagg, F, Duke (freshman)
Boogie Fland, G, Arkansas (freshman)
Rasheer Fleming, F/C, St. Joseph’s (junior)
Vladislav Goldin, C, Michigan (senior)
Hugo Gonzalez, F, Spain (born 2006)
PJ Haggerty, G, Memphis (sophomore)
Dylan Harper, G, Rutgers (freshman)
Ben Henshall, G/F, Australia (born 2004)
Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois (freshman)
Sion James, G, Duke (senior)
Tre Johnson, G, Texas (freshman)
Kameron Jones, G, Marquette (senior)
Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton (senior)
Karter Knox, F, Arkansas (freshman)
Kon Knueppel, G/F, Duke (freshman)
Chaz Lanier, G, Tennessee (senior)
Yaxel Lendeborg, F, UAB (senior)
RJ Luis, F, St. John’s (junior)
Khaman Maluach, C, Duke (freshman)
Bogoljub Markovic, F/C, Serbia (born 2005)
Alijah Martin, G, Florida (senior)
Liam McNeeley, F, UConn (freshman)
Jalon Moore, F, Oklahoma (senior)
Collin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina (sophomore)
Grant Nelson, F, Alabama (senior)
Asa Newell, F, Georgia (freshman)
Otega Oweh, G, Kentucky (junior)
Dink Pate, G/F, Mexico City Capitanes (born 2006)
Micah Peavy, G/F, Georgetown (senior)
Noah Penda, F, France (born 2005)
Tahaad Pettiford, G, Auburn (freshman)
Labaron Philon, G, Alabama (freshman)
Drake Powell, G/F, UNC (freshman)
Tyrese Proctor, G, Duke (junior)
Derik Queen, C, Maryland (freshman)
Maxime Raynaud, F/C, Stanford (senior)
Jase Richardson, G, Michigan State (freshman)
Will Riley, F, Illinois (freshman)
Michael Ruzic, F, Spain (born 2006)
Hunter Sallis, G, Wake Forest (senior)
Kobe Sanders, G, Nevada (senior)
Ben Saraf, G, Germany (born 2006)
Mark Sears, G, Albama (senior)
Max Shulga, G, VCU (senior)
Javon Small, G, West Virginia (senior)
Thomas Sorber, F/C, Georgetown (freshman)
Adou Thiero, F, Arkansas (junior)
John Tonje, G, Wisconsin (senior)
Alex Toohey, F, Australia (born 2004)
Nolan Traore, G, France (born 2006)
Milos Uzan, G, Houston (junior)
Jamir Watkins, G/F, Florida State (senior)
Brice Williams, G/F, Nebraska (senior)
Darrion Williams, F, Texas Tech (junior)
Danny Wolf, F/C, Michigan (junior)
Hansen Yang, C, China (born 2005)
Rocco Zikarsky, C, Australia (born 2006)

It’s worth noting that the NBA and the NBPA agreed to several combine-related changes in their latest Collective Bargaining Agreement. Here are a few of those changes:

A player who is invited to the draft combine and declines to attend without an excused absence will be ineligible to be drafted. He would become eligible the following year by attending the combine. There will be exceptions made for a player whose FIBA season is ongoing, who is injured, or who is dealing with a family matter (such as a tragedy or the birth of a child).
Players who attend the draft combine will be required to undergo physical exams, share medical history, participate in strength, agility, and performance testing, take part in shooting drills, receive anthropometric measurements, and conduct interviews with teams and the media. Scrimmages won’t be mandatory.
Medical results from the combine will be distributed to select teams based on where the player is projected to be drafted. Only teams drafting in the top 10 would get access to medical info for the projected No. 1 pick; teams in the top 15 would receive medical info for players in the 2-6 range, while teams in the top 25 would get access to info for the players in the 7-10 range.

Yaxel Lendeborg Entering Draft While Maintaining Eligibility

April 5th, 2025 at 9:24am CST by Rory Maher

UAB power forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who led the Blazers in points (17.7), rebounds (11.4), assists (4.2), steals (1.7) and blocks (1.8) per game this past season, plans to enter the 2025 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Ranked No. 28 overall on ESPN’s latest big board (Insider link), Lendeborg says he is committed to the draft process, but if he instead uses his final season of eligibility, he intends to transfer to Michigan.

“I’m focused on the draft process and making the NBA right now,” Lendeborg said. “I want a guaranteed contract. That’s the biggest thing. Make sure I am in a good spot. I would prefer to play college basketball in Ann Arbor than be in and out of the G League on a two-way. I want to find a safe spot.”

As Givony writes, Lendeborg has an unusual background for a possible first-round pick, as the 22-year-old grew up playing video games and not basketball. Since he started playing organized basketball much later than most prospects, he believes he is “just scratching the surface” of what he “can evolve into, and with more work I can reach that potential.”

According to Givony, Lendeborg is only the second Division I player in history to record at least 600 points, 400 rebounds and 150 assists in a season, joining Hall of Famer Larry Bird. He was named first-team All-AAC and Defensive Player of the Year each of the past two seasons, Givony adds.