Round 1, Pick 11 – Yaxel Lendeborg – UAB – Golden State Warriors
While the 6-foot-9 forward starred last season for the title-winning Michigan Wolverines, Lendeborg is (or at least should be) known for his prior stardom under Andy Kennedy for the UAB Blazers. After two spectacular seasons in Birmingham, the New Jersey native decided to join former FAU head coach (and now Dallas Mavericks coach) Dusty May in Ann Arbor.
Coming off a national championship season with Michigan, Yaxel now heads out West to join the Golden State Warriors. Head Coach Steve Kerr welcomes in the forward alongside aging stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, the second of whom could be a valuable mentor to the animated Lendeborg. The Dubs could slot their recent lottery pick into the three spot if needed (he played the small forward with Morez Johnson and Aday Mara this past year at Michigan), starting the veteran with the rookie in a dangerous duo. Either way, our former mid-major darling will be well taken care of by some elite pedigree in the 2026-27 season.
Round 1, Pick 16 – Bennett Stirtz – Drake – Memphis Grizzlies (Traded to Oklahoma City Thunder)
If any of Bennett Stirtz’s three collegiate programs get the credit for putting him on the path toward playing in the NBA, it’s not the Iowa Hawkeyes, and no, not even the Drake Bulldogs. It is the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats, the program that hosted him for his first two collegiate seasons before he and head coach Ben McCollum began the adventure of a lifetime.
From the DII level, Stirtz took his elite productivity to Drake alongside McCollum, and after one season there, they went to the power-conference ranks at Iowa. The Liberty, Mo., native now joins a title contender in the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he adds himself to a guard room featuring two-time reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Stirtz’s ability to stay on the court and shoot well while distributing at a high clip could be a great addition to a team looking for a guard who can work well off its star player.
Round 1, Pick 19 – Allen Graves – Santa Clara- Toronto Raptors
The highest drafted player coming straight from a mid-major this year didn’t start regularly for Herb Sendek’s Santa Clara Broncos. The 6-foot-8, 226-pound forward did, however, light it up in the West Coast Conference, winning sixth man of the year and freshman of the year, which earned him the right to be in a place where he now is headed to Toronto.
Graves now gets added to a Raptors team with an incredible amount of youth. Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram led the squad to the five-seed in the NBA Playoffs this past year, and now Graves gets to find his role in a lineup with a significant hole at the four position.
Round 1, Pick 28 – Joshua Jefferson – Saint Mary’s – Minnesota Timberwolves (Traded to Brooklyn Nets)
The 6-foot-8 forward averaged just 8.1 minutes per game during his freshman season at Saint Mary’s, but coming off a big summer, Jefferson found a way to carve himself into a vital piece of the Gaels’ roster in 2023-24. That productive sophomore season attracted the attention of Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger, the coach he played for for his final two collegiate seasons as he earned second team All-American honors this past year.
Jefferson now joins a Brooklyn Nets roster looking for overhaul following the departure of key stars over the past few years. Playing under Michael Porter Jr, the rookie will gain some valuable knowledge from one of the most electric scorers in the Eastern Conference.
