He’s a high flyer, a quality passer, and a two-time conference defensive player of the year. What’s not to like?
Yesterday, I officially began my deep dive into the 2025 NBA Draft. With the Phoenix Suns holding a pair of picks and facing a suffocating cap situation, adding a couple of rookies isn’t just a smart move. It’s a necessary one.
History hasn’t exactly been kind to the Suns at pick No. 29, but maybe this is the year we flip the script. New general manager Brian Gregory arrives with a reputation for identifying and developing talent. It’s what he did as a college coach, and it’s what he’s passionate about bringing to this level. While we haven’t seen his blueprint applied in the NBA just yet, this draft marks his first real opportunity to do so.
I kicked things off yesterday with a look at Ryan Kalkbrenner, the skilled big man out of Creighton. Today, we shift gears, though we’ll stay in the frontcourt.
The power forward spot carries no shortage of intrigue this offseason, especially with Kevin Durant’s future in Phoenix far from certain. Targeting a power forward in the draft wouldn’t be about immediate returns, but about planting a seed that could grow into a meaningful contributor down the road.
So today, our focus turns to the AAC to a player who’s claimed back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honors and consecutive First Team All-AAC selections. A player who rebounds, makes plays, and pairs size with athleticism in a way that makes you pay attention. Not a savior, but a prospect worth investing in.
Yaxel Lendeborg, PF, University of Alabama-Birmingham
- Height: 6’9”
- Weight: 230 pounds
- Age: 22 years old
- Experience: Two years at UAB
- 2024-25 Statistics: 17.7 points (52.2 FG%, 35.7 3PT%, 75.7 FT%), 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks
You watch this kid’s highlights and it’s hard not to get excited. He’s a modern wing with bounce, skill, and defensive versatility. Think a bit of Obi Toppin in the open floor, but with a far more advanced defensive toolset.
Let’s start with the obvious: the kid can dunk. He’s a legit high flyer. Maybe not quite on Toppin’s level in terms of raw vertical pop, but he gets up with ease and authority. What makes it better is the way he gets to those dunks. Instinctive footwork, the ability to finish with either hand, and a natural feel for attacking space. He just looks like an NBA player when he’s rim-running, taking defenders off the bounce, or operating as a playmaker in space. There’s a fluidity to his game that stands out, especially for his size.
Offensively, he’s got a respectable midrange game, hitting 36% of his looks from that area, and he’s a capable floor spacer at 36.2% from deep on a balanced shot diet. About 34% of his attempts came from the midrange, with another 15.3% from beyond the arc, a solid mix that shows he’s comfortable scoring at multiple levels.
Defensively, he’s a problem for opposing offenses. He has the size, lateral quickness, and instincts to guard multiple positions and can disrupt passing lanes while switching onto both wings and forwards. You can tell he takes pride in that end of the floor, and it shows up in his activity and anticipation.
As No Ceilings’ Mawell Baumbach observes, “When he finds himself out of the paint, his instincts are sharp, which enables him to rotate to the basket and turn opponents away. Lendeborg also racks up blocks in transition. His motor is off the charts, and he consistently hustles back down the floor to prevent easy looks. Lendeborg racks up steals at a high clip for a big man, too. His 2.3 STL% and 1.6 SPG are uncommon numbers for a dude his size.”
This is the type of prospect you stash on your bench, develop with intent, and watch gradually carve out a role as a rotation player. Maybe even more.
J. Kyle Mann of The Ringer — who compares him to Jaylin Williams, Jeremiah Earl-Robinson, and Marcus Morris — had the following scouting report:
A late rise up draft boards is on-brand for this balletic battering ram. Lendeborg started playing high-level organized hoops in just the past six years, and the leap he made from his 2020 junior college tape to his 2025 tape is one of the wilder things I’ve seen in my time watching basketball. Once a limited but efficient below-the-rim play finisher who showed some natural feel for using his physical tools, the senior is now a do-everything point forward who led UAB this season in nearly every statistical category.
Yaxel’s mastery of the simple things is still present; everything he’s added since ripples out from there. His huge frame and deft use of his feet allow him to shovel dirt on smaller defenders in the middle of the floor, drawing fouls and amassing short-range points in bunches. He also loves to tear the rim down when given the chance. He’s become impressively dynamic when facing the basket, too. The handle is evolving, and turnovers can mount as a result, but he was an efficient hub of offense for UAB this past season. I’ve been most impressed by the way Lendeborg is able to score from anywhere without getting derailed by an appetite to do so. His game interfaces with winning. He has impressive creativity as a passer, whether it’s in tight or wide spaces. He’s also become a respectable catch-and-shoot player with mechanics that don’t raise any red flags.
Lendeborg’s build and the quickness of his jumps make me think he’s more likely to guard forwards and bigs than quicker on-ball scorers, and he has the added benefit of being able to create out-of-area deflections and altered shots. But considering how far this guy has come in such a short time, it’s hard to set a limit on how much he can improve. The ceiling probably isn’t as high, but because of his age, size, and progress, there are some whiffs of a Pascal Siakam developmental arc in the air.
This is absolutely a prospect worth getting excited about, the kind of player who makes you sit up a little straighter when you watch the film. So naturally, the next question becomes: where is he currently landing in the latest mock drafts?
- ESPN: 26th to the Brooklyn Nets
- Bleacher Report: 31st to the Minnesota Timberwolves
- USA Today: 22nd to the Atlanta Hawks
- NBA Draft.net: 23rd to the Indiana Pacers
- The Ringer: 27th to the Brooklyn Nets
Right now, he’s scattered all over the board. These projections will tighten over the next month as workouts ramp up and front offices zero in on their targets. But one thing is already clear: Lendeborg is a quality prospect, the kind of versatile, high-motor player the Suns would be wise to target at the back end of the first round. He checks a lot of boxes this roster desperately needs, and this might be the perfect window to snag him.
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