NBA Draft Basketball Wiretap

Yaxel Lendeborg enters the 2026 NBA Draft with his stock in flux, as pre-draft workouts have fallen short of expectations and questions remain about where the Michigan forward will be selected, per league sources.

Lendeborg has also been managing an ankle injury, though the issue is not considered a long-term concern. His personality has drawn mixed reactions from evaluators, with sources describing him as high-energy and candid to a degree that may not suit every front office.

On the positive side, Lendeborg was well-regarded by his Michigan teammates. He has acknowledged that his practice habits were poor when he arrived in Ann Arbor last offseason but showed clear improvement as the season progressed.

Lendeborg posted 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game for the Wolverines last season on their way to the national championship. He measured 6 feet 8 inches without shoes and carries a 7-foot-4 wingspan alongside a 9-foot standing reach.

At 23 years old, Lendeborg is an older prospect and will turn 24 in September before playing his first NBA game. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his range, he remains a top-10 prospect in the view of some evaluators.

Top NBA draft prospect Darryn Peterson has visited the Washington Wizards, who hold the No. 1 pick in next week's draft, and does not plan to meet with any other team, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania and Jeremy Woo.

Lottery teams have taken note of Peterson's decision to grant access only to Washington. The Utah Jazz own the No. 2 pick and will not be dissuaded by Peterson's decision if they identify him as their preferred selection. The move comes as Peterson and BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, the presumed top prospect, both believe they will be selected first overall, according to sources.

Peterson, a 6-foot-5 guard from Kansas, averaged 20.2 points per game as a freshman, the most in program history. He missed 11 games due to injury, the most for a projected No. 1 pick since Kyrie Irving played just 11 games at Duke before being selected in 2011.

Peterson told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne in May that severe cramping caused his injury issues. He said doctors determined after the season that high doses of creatine contributed to the condition.

Washington finished last season 17-65 and won the draft lottery in May after holding the best odds for the top pick. The Wizards have not won a playoff series since the 2017-18 season.

Peterson wants to play point guard in the NBA, but does not view potentially joining Trae Young with the Wizards as an issue.

The first round of the draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on June 23.