Hornets Linked to Defensive Prospect Who Could Affect Tidjane Salaün’s Future

Depending on how things play out in the final 27 games, the Charlotte Hornets may be picking outside of the lottery for the first time since 2016.

Regardless, they'll have two cracks at it in the second round, thanks to the trade that sent Cody Martin, Vasa Micic, and a 20226 second-rounder to Phoenix in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic and a first.

In a recent mock draft by Ricky O'Donnell of SB Nation, he has the Hornets staying in the lottery, landing the 13th pick, and selecting Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg.

"Lendeborg will be 24 years old when his rookie year starts, but he should still have appeal in the lottery with both the tools and skill set to be a modern NBA forward. At 6’9, 235 pounds with a 7’4 wingspan, Lendeborg has shown he can defend all over the floor, crush the glass, and stroke three-pointers during his winding college career. His development track has been unusual because he didn’t start playing organized basketball until he was 15 years old, so his age shouldn’t be held against him too much. He feels like the perfect frontcourt connector to finish off Charlotte’s young core."

Feb 11, 2026; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) reacts after scoring against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Lendeborg would be an interesting pick for many reasons. First, his defense is what jumps out to you and is something that Charles Lee would fall in love with immediately. The effort is always there, challenges every shot, and his length can create problems for opposing teams.

Unlike most prospects coming out, Lendeborg won't need a ton of time to develop. As O'Donnell mentioned, he picked up basketball late, but he's played a ton of it at the collegiate level. He played three seasons at the JUCO level, spent two seasons at UAB, where he was the two-time AAC Defensive Player of the Year, and then this season at Michigan.

You'd be sacrificing a little bit of offense, but it's not like he can't make an impact on that end of the floor. It's just not going to be as polished as Miles Bridges and may never reach that level of consistency.

My immediate thought on this was that it could force a tough decision to be made on Tidjane Salaün. You don't want to ever give up on a first-round pick after just two years, but Lendeborg would certainly have a role, and Miles Bridges and Grant Williams are still under contract. Perhaps they end up parting with one of the veterans anyway, but I'd have to imagine Salaün's roster spot wouldn't be safe either.

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