Money talks. The Phoenix Suns will not have a chance to draft him at 29.
With the NBA Draft now less than a month away, the deep dive has begun. We’re sifting through potential fits, names that might flash across the screen when the Phoenix Suns are on the clock at picks 29 or 52. I’ve started sketching out a rough big board, not that I’d ever pretend to be some polished scout. This isn’t Voita’s Big Board™. It’s more of a curated curiosity list. A way to make sense of the chaos.
Like every year that the Suns actually have a draft pick, I get excited. Who wouldn’t? The draft is a blank slate. A chance to inject youth, energy, and upside into a team starving for all three. Even if the impact isn’t immediate, you’re adding a piece to the puzzle. One that matters not just today, but in shaping the future.
That’s the key, really. When you’re capped out and stuck in the apron maze, young, athletic, cheap talent becomes priceless. The kind of building block you can’t afford to miss on. The Suns have to hit this draft.
As I’ve dug into the tape, a few prospects have stood out. One of them was UAB’s Yaxel Lendeborg. The kid is a joy to watch. Active, aggressive, relentless. He doesn’t exactly fit a positional need, but when you’re drafting at 29, you don’t worry about fit. You swing for talent. And Lendeborg? He’s got it.
Or had it.
Unfortunately, he won’t be part of this draft class after all. Lendeborg has opted to return to college, transferring to Michigan for another season.
NEWS: Yaxel Lendeborg, a projected first-round pick, will withdraw from the NBA draft and enroll at Michigan, he told ESPN.
Massive news for Dusty May, officially adding the No. 1 big man in the transfer portal.
STORY: https://t.co/KVNCJNKuHj pic.twitter.com/lC7cjX0PxM
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 27, 2025
“While it’s been and still is a dream of mine to play in the NBA, I feel the development and growth as a player and a person I will gain at the University of Michigan will be very beneficial,” Lendeborg told ESPN.
I’m sure there was some NIL motivation behind the decision as well. For someone projected in the late 20s of the first round, the rookie scale tops out around $3 million. Not bad money, but not life-changing either, especially with no guarantee of playing time or stability.
As ESPN’s Jeremy Woo reported last week, “NBA teams are aware Lendeborg has a multimillion-dollar NIL package to attend Michigan next season.” In other words, staying in college isn’t just about development anymore. It’s a business decision. And when the bag is that big, you chase it.
A bummer for sure. But the search continues.
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