Top 2026 NBA Draft Prospect Reacts to Mavericks Hiring Michigan's Dusty May

Yaxel Lendeborg wants to join his college coach in the NBA.

Mar 21, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May speaks with forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) in the second half against the Saint Louis Billikens during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks made a huge move on Monday, as it was revealed that they would be hiring Michigan's Dusty May as their next head coach. He's fresh off winning a national championship in just his second season at Michigan, and will now try to keep winning at the next level.

This news was a surprise to a lot of people. Many thought the Mavericks would hire an NBA assistant coach, but they took the big swing by hiring May, who has never been a coach in the NBA. That could make for a steep learning curve.

With the NBA Draft on Tuesday night, the Mavericks could bring in some of May's former stars from Michigan. Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara, and Morez Johnson are all projected to go in the top 20, and the Mavericks have the 9th pick. There have been constant rumors about trading down, as the OKC Thunder and Charlotte Hornets have multiple picks in the top 20, which would put them in prime position to take one of the former Wolverines.

Lendeborg is one of the more talented players in the draft. Were he a few years younger, he'd likely go much higher. He was asked on Monday evening about his reaction to the Mavericks hiring Dusty May, and it seems like he would be all for rejoining his college coach.

“I’m going to tell him he better pick me up; if he doesn’t, I’m going to be mad, I might block him," Lendeborg said. "It would be amazing to stick with him.”

Yaxel Lendeborg on the Mavs hiring Dusty May:

“I’m going to tell him he better pick me up, if he doesn’t I’m going to block him.. It would be amazing to stick with him.”

(via @ChancellorTV) pic.twitter.com/kJ65A9WcmK

— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) June 22, 2026

Could Yaxel Lendeborg Be a Maverick Tuesday Night?

The Dallas Mavericks do not need another 6'8" wing like Yaxel Lendeborg. Dallas has been exploring trades for Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall, though, and if Marshall were to be dealt, that could open a pathway for someone like Lendeborg to make sense.

Lendeborg had a lot of success under Dusty May, averaging 15.1 PPG and 6.8 RPG on a loaded team, which was good enough to be a consensus First Team All-American. He'll be 24 at the start of the season, and that's the biggest reason he's not projected to go higher. The fact he'll still likely go in the lottery in this deep of a draft shows how good he is.

Dusty May has provided other teams with information on his star Michigan players, so he knows who is actually interested in them. Whether they use that information to their advantage will have to be seen on Tuesday night.

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