By the end of Wednesday night, the Michigan basketball team will finally get an answer, one way or another, whether or not Yaxel Lendeborg, the top player available in the transfer portal ahead of the 2025-26 season, will play for the Wolverines.
The Wolverines landed his commitment after Lendeborg entered the portal from UAB. However, he was always going to explore the NBA draft. Recently, Lendeborg took part in the NBA draft combine, and the 6-foot-9 forward was impressive.
Impressive enough to guarantee himself being a first-round pick? That we don't know. We do know that Michigan basketball has offered him a massive NIL deal, around $3-4 million, which is about the equivalent of a first-round pick's salary.
Dusty May and Michigan basketball are selling what they did with Danny Wolf, who wasn't even projected as a first-round pick at the start of the season, but is now projected to go in the NBA draft lottery.
Surely, the Wolverines could do the same thing with Lendeborg. His presence on the roster also makes the Michigan basketball team a legitimate contender for the national championship.
Some experts have predicted that he will leave for the NBA draft. Others have said that he would do better to play for Michigan basketball next season to improve his stock.
The deadline to withdraw from the 2025 NBA draft is Wednesday night, just before midnight. So, don't fret Michigan fans, the will he or won't will be over soon.
The potential impact is hard to understate. With Yaxel on the roster, the Wolverines are likely a top-10 team. ESPN has them projected as a No. 2 seed in the 2026 bracketology projections, and the team's ceiling will be drastically different based on this decision.
Surely, Dusty May has a backup plan. He always does, it would just be great if he didn't need to use it.