As Michigan readies for its Final Four matchup against Arizona on Saturday night, we as sports fans can not help but still look to the future with the season so close to coming to an end. That future is the NBA Draft and who will be selected and have every basketball dream come true.
For Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, he nearly had that dream come true last offseason, but he was a late withdrawal from the NBA Draft process and chose to finish out his college basketball career, and it worked out for him tenfold.
Even though Lendeborg will now go into the NBA Draft process as a 24-year-old rookie, which is older than most, he still is projected to be a first-round pick, maybe even a lottery pick. With the Final Four just a day away, FanSided's Christopher Kline projects where all the top stars still left in the NCAA Tournament will go in the 2026 NBA Draft.
FanSided projects Yexel Lendeborg to land with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Draft
With Cameron Boozer now officially out of the NCAA Tournament, Lendeborg is certainly the best player left, even though some others could be nipping at his heels for the title. Either way, Michigan has its best chance in a long time to bring home a basketball National Championship, and Lendeborg is a big reason for that.
In his projected top Final Four talent to the NBA, FanSided's Christopher Kline has Lendeborg projected to go to the reigning NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder, thanks to some smart trades, hold a couple of top-20 picks even as the reigning champions, and Lendeborg could be a great fit for the system the team runs. With solid experience from college, Lendeborg has the ability to step into OKC's lineup and get serious minutes.
Lendeborg's versatile play style, both on offense and defense, is what makes him so intriguing to every NBA team, but the Thunder just seem to fit him. Lendeborg can score in every level, but also create for another player at any moment. He can be a star, but also the guy that holds a team together, which makes him a perfect fit for the Thunder.