Dusty May Makes Bold Claim About Yaxel Lendeborg’s NBA Future

Head coach Dusty May spoke on his star forward's NBA future.

Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) reacts after a play against the UConn Huskies during the first half in the national championship of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament between the and the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Off the heels of leading Michigan to its second National Championship in program history last night, head coach Dusty May joined the Rich Eisen Show on ESPN on Tuesday (April 7) morning.

While on the show, May talked about Michigan star forward and future potential NBA lottery pick Yaxel Lendeborg, who is now out of college eligibility.

Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) celebrates on after beating Connecticut to win the NCAA national championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Monday, April 6, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

May gave high praise to Lendeborg not just for his talent, but also for his character off the court.

“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.”

"He's just scratching the surface. ... He's an NBA rotational guy or starter now on a good team."

—Michigan head coach @CoachDustyMay on Yaxel Lendeborg's potential following their national championship win 🏀

(via @RichEisenShow) pic.twitter.com/Pjk5zCM1L7

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 7, 2026

As far as on the court play, May said Yaxel is ready to step on the floor and compete today.

“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.”

Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) in action against the Connecticut Huskies in the second half during the national championship of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Lendeborg had a decorated final season of college basketball with the Wolverines, highlighted by All-American honors and being named the Big Ten Player of the Year. He finished the season averaging 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, while shooting over 50% from the floor and 37.2% from deep.

So, where will Lendeborg land in the NBA draft? According to Bleacher Report, somewhere in the late lottery to mid-first round.

With his older age, a team looking for an NBA-ready forward that needs a piece to win now should be high on Lendeborg, as he has high upside to contribute right away.