After having made it to a game away from the NBA Finals, Oklahoma City already has everything. But Milwaukee needs what OKC is about to take from them. According to reports by HoopsHype, the Thunder have already met and worked out with Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg ahead of the 2026 draft, which is a development that should make every Bucks fan deeply uncomfortable.
The answer to the Bucks' problems will be theirs for the taking at No. 10
This writer has long advocated for the Bucks taking Lendeborg at 10. Standing at 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, Lendeborg fits the modern NBA frontcourt archetype perfectly. Over the years, he’s evolved from a traditional rebounder into a versatile two-way threat capable of spacing the floor. He also perfectly understands the dirty work of screening, cutting, and defending multiple positions, which are all skills that are usually the hardest for rookies to grasp.
Yaxel Lendeborg makes too much sense for the Bucks at No. 10 simply because he is, at present, the most NBA-ready player you can get at that range. Lendeborg addresses actual roster problems when it comes to size, defense, and versatility in both the frontcourt and wings. Milwaukee needs younger legs, connective playmaking, defensive flexibility, and players who can survive playoff basketball without needing everything tailored around them. Lendeborg looks like exactly that type of player.
The Bucks have spent the better part of the season looking for consistency in their frontcourt rotation. Between aging veterans and defensive lapses, the second unit hasn't been able to provide the reliable relief that a title-contending team requires. Lendeborg offers a high-IQ, high-motor solution that would allow Taylor Jenkins and his coaching staff to stagger Giannis’ minutes without seeing the scoreboard crater.
The age concern is the main reason teams ahead of Milwaukee might pass. Lendeborg turns 24 before playing a single NBA game, just one year younger than guys like Anthony Edwards and Cade Cunningham. But what that also means is that he won't need two years of seasoning before he can help. He can contribute right away, which matters enormously in a Milwaukee offseason defined by urgency.
Milwaukee can't let a win-now contributor like Lendeborg go to OKC
If a team like the Thunder, who already hold multiple first-round picks, snags a player with Lendeborg’s immediate upside, it’s a terrifying proposition for the rest of the league.
The worst case scenario of this draft plays out like this: the Bucks pass on Lendeborg at 10, maybe take one of the many guards they've worked out, and watch OKC draft him at 12 and convert him into another low-cost, high-impact rotation piece for a team that already won the title. Presti has done this before. He finds players who fill specific needs, trusts the process, and wins. Just look at what Ousmane Dieng is doing for Milwaukee after finding no opportunities in Oklahoma City. The Thunder don't waste picks on players they don't believe in.
Milwaukee should believe in Lendeborg first. Pick 10 is right there. The case for taking a chance on him is obvious, whether Giannis Antetokounmpo stays or leaves.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
Add us as a preferred source on Google