Former Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu was a notable NBA draft-night slide, as the Bulls selected Dosunmu with the 38th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, presumably because of playing three decorated seasons of NCAA men’s basketball at the University of Illinois instead of earning a “one-and-done” draft prospect evaluation after his freshman year of college hoops for the Fighting Illini.
During the 2024 NBA Draft, Bulls wing Matas Buzelis gladly fell to the Bulls, who selected him with the 11th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, despite generally being considered a top-10 draft prospect before entering the NBA Draft.
2025-26 NCAA men’s basketball National Champion and University of Michigan star power forward Yaxel Lendeborg is primed to be the next Bulls draft steal if the 2026 NBA Draft results follow the order of Fansided’s 2026 NBA Draft Big Board.
Lendeborg is ranked as the 15th 2026 NBA Draft prospect out of 50 players declared for the draft, and the Bulls coincidentally own the 15th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Rationalizing Lendeborg as the Bulls' 15th pick in the 2026 draft
Lendeborg is a dominant basketball talent with the physical attributes coveted in the NBA's physicality renaissance of 2026. At 6’9” and 241 pounds, Lendeborg asserts himself in a basketball game with elite rebounding, an NCAA career 17.3 rebounds per 100 possessions according to Sports Reference.
Also desirable in Lendeborg’s game is his defensive profile, as he finished his NCAA men’s basketball career averaging 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. It would be a promising sight to see Matas Buzelis paired with a formidable front-court mate who can take the pressure off Buzelis to match up with larger forwards or centers on defense.
Lendeborg could be a great defensive building block, along with Matas, to allow the Bulls to confidently execute more switching defensive coverages, assuming the next Bulls head coach wants to continue that trademark of the Billy Donovan Bulls coaching playbook.
Ultimately, Lendeborg is occupying a mid-lottery prospect slot in most draft rankings because he’s traveled the less desirable long-term college career route that included three seasons of junior college basketball, two seasons at the University of Alabama Birmingham, before finishing his career as a transfer portal superstar with the Michigan Wolverines.
If Lendeborg delivered his Michigan season performance as a freshman, there’s no doubt he would be a top-10 NBA Draft talent. Perhaps with the rise of NIL compensation in NCAA sports, the NBA draft bias against multi-season basketball players will subside.
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