Everyone knows the Orlando Magic have a type when it comes to the draft.
They typically draft players who are big for their position, have plus wingspans and value the defensive end of the floor. Finding rookies who have that advanced understanding is always difficult.
Considering how important the draft is for the Magic to find lower-priced players while they dance around the first apron, the draft is a resource the Magic must get right one way or the other.
Having options with the 16th and 25th picks, while we assume they will take them, is vital to the team. Finding players that fit the kind of players the Magic like to develop is even more important.
The NCAA's deadline for players to withdraw from the NBA Draft is coming Wednesday night, and so the list of players available for teams will get finalized. Everyone has their favorite prospects for a variety of positions.
One of those favored prospects has officially announced he will not be available in this year's draft.
UAB's Yaxel Lendeborg will not enter the NBA Draft, going through with his transfer to Michigan for the upcoming season, he tells Shams Charania and Mike Givony of ESPN. That takes off one of the more versatile and defensive-minded wings out of the Draft this year (this season is his final year of eligibility).
Lendeborg checks all the boxes for the Magic and would have been a clear target for the team if they followed their type, likely with the 25th pick.
Lendeborg averaged 17.7 points per game and an AAC-leading 11.4 rebounds per game. He shot 52.2 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from three last year. He made 75.7 percent of his free throws and shot 77.8 percent from the foul line in two years at UAB.
Lendeborg was also a two-time AAC Defensive Player of the Year with the Blazers. It made him the most sought-after transfer in the college transfer market before he opted to play for Michigan.
Lendeborg was listed at 6-foot-9, 230 pounds and measured at 6-foot-8.5 without shoes and a 7-foot-4 wingspan, the kind of plus wingspan that the Magic typically go ga ga for.
He shot 33 for 53 (62.3 percent) on shooting drills during the NBA Draft Combine. A solid number that confirms his shooting potential, but nothing that blew everyone away.
While Lendeborg may not fit as a consistent three-point shooter in his two seasons at UAB, but there are plenty of hints he can improve as a shooter. But he has the size and defensive tools to be a strong player in the league.
This seems like a mature decision too, proving himself and gaining skills at an elite school in Michigan. Lendeborg came to basketball late, spending two years at a junior college after picking up the game in high school.
It is also likely a financial decision with Lendeborg likely netting some major NIL deals by going to Michigan, even if it means delaying an NBA contract for a little bit.
Even though it seemed certain Lendeborg would be a first round pick, it seems that he feels another year of development and exposure at a bigger school could help him climb draft boards next year. It is hard not to like his game and the skills he brings.
The Magic will have other options to fill that void.
Fans have fallen in love with Florida guard Walter Clayton, and Michigan State guard Jase Richardson gives the Magic potential options to help boost their guard depth. They could chase after rangy wings like Nique Clifford, Carter Bryant or Asa Newell. They could chase bigs like Rasheer Fleming, Thomas Sorber, Danny Wolf or Ryan Kalkbrenner.
Lendeborg certainly fit within that player type and would have been a player the Magic would have looked seriously at with one of their picks.
But clearly there are a lot of other options for the Magic to explore too. This option though is off the board for a year.