Why Michigan Basketball Trio Should Continue to Climb Up NBA Mock Drafts

We are officially under a month away from the 2026 NBA draft and three former Michigan Wolverines are gaining traction as draft day nears.

Michigan’s starting frontcourt (Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara) from the 2025-26 national championship squad are expected to be drafted in the first round.

Morez Johnson grabs a rebound — Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) rebounds the ball against Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

From two weeks ago, the three Wolverines are coming in higher than they were in mock drafts. Here is where they were, where they are and why they deserve the attention they are getting. All current projections are per NBA Draft on SI.

Aday Mara (No. 14 - Charlotte Hornets)

UofM fans know the value the 7’3” big man brought to the floor in its national championship run. I have said prior and will continue to say, Mara has the highest ceiling and lowest floor of all the players on this list.

Aday Mara raises the net — Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines center Aday Mara (15) celebrates after cutting down a piece of the net after defeating the Connecticut Huskies in 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

His passing ability for his size was such a key to Michigan’s success. Not only in starting the fast break with long outlet passes to aid Dusty May’s fast pace of play, but also in the half-court. Mara was incredible at finding cutting guards out of the high post.

The thing that is also exciting is the potential to grow into a threat from three-point range. Mara will likely never be a sharp shooter from deep, but if he continues working on his shot, he can at least force defenses to defend him on the perimeter.

Mara only took 10 shots from deep during his one year at Michigan, but had an impressive showing at the NBA combine.

Aday Mara spot-up 3-point shooting:

12/25 (48%) pic.twitter.com/IpLnXvXwYO
— Erik Slater (@ErikSlater_) May 12, 2026

With his guard-like abilities and size, Mara is a higher-risk, higher-reward player who deserves to be in the top half of the 2026 draft.

Morez Johnson Jr. (No. 12 - Oklahoma City)

Johnson Jr is the player who has jumped the most. As of two weeks ago, per ESPN, Johnson Jr. was slotted at No. 20. Now, he is being seen as a potential lottery pick.

Mara may have the highest ceiling, but Johnson Jr. feels like the safest pick to have a solid NBA career.

Morez Johnson blocks a shot against UConn — Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) defends against Connecticut Huskies forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) 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

Similar to Mara, Johnson Jr. began to show he can be a threat from three-point range. He shot 12-for-35 from deep and you could see him slowly become more comfortable taking those shots as the season went on.

His biggest strength is his strength. Johnson Jr. has elite physicality, rebounding and the potential to be a good defender at the next level. He led the Wolverines in rebounding in 2025-26 with over seven per contest.

Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 11 - Golden State)

Continuing to border as a top-12 pick, it seems Lendeborg is trending to land as a lottery pick in this year's draft.

Yaxel Lendeborg flexes — 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

Because of his age, Lendeborg is the most NBA-ready prospect of the three Wolverines. Already 24 years old, that is hurting his potential to be much higher. However, age is an overrated metric to base draft position on. The draft should be about getting the best player; a few years’ age gap isn’t going to make a dramatic difference.

We have already seen his ability to develop during his time in college into more of a shooter and ball handler.

If he falls to a team that is looking to win now and can look past the age, they could wind up getting a steal of a pick in the long term.

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