For the majority of college basketball players, the final goal is to make it in the National Basketball Association. A very small minority have their dreams become a reality while most go on to do something other than sports. For a team like Michigan that just won the National Championship, the NBA is a realistic dream for a good portion of the roster.
Today, we will power rank the members of the 2025-26 Michigan roster by their pro potential. Keep in mind, we aren’t just ranking the players’ NBA potential next year — we’re talking the long-term trajectory of each players’ future career in the NBA.
Honorable Mention: Howard Eisley Jr., Harrison Hochberg, Charlie May
These players have no shot at the NBA. However any national champion deserves an honorable mention in my book.
13. G Ricky Liburd
Liburd redshirted this season, as he was a late addition to the class and wasn’t a highly sought after prospect. We’ll know significantly more about him next year, but for now, it’s impossible to assess his NBA potential.
12. C Malick Kordel
An international prospect from Germany, Kordel played during garbage time during his first season of college basketball. He was clearly very raw, but at 7-foot-2 and 275 pounds, he has the frame of an NBA center. His need for development prevents him from being any higher on this list.
11. F Will Tschetter
Don’t take Tschetter’s low placement on this list as any disrespect towards one of the pivotal pieces on the national title team. The heartbeat of the program, he embodied the Michigan mantra of “those who stay will be champions.” Unfortunately at this point in his career, we know exactly what his limitations are and so too do NBA scouts. Tschetter was an all-time college basketball character but will likely never see any NBA action.
10. F Oscar Goodman
Goodman was tough to place on this list. The young forward saw more minutes than anyone else on the bench mob and flashed some potential with high flying dunks and blocked shots in garbage time. Depending on Michigan’s activity in the portal, he may be a part of the rotation next year. Given his youth, he could still develop into a fringe NBA type player. Time will tell.
9. F Winters Grady
Like Goodman, this is entirely based off of projection. Grady played in just nine games this season and wasn’t entirely effective before being shut down due to an injury. However, his recruiting profile suggests that of a sharpshooter who could develop into a three-and-D type of player. He is obviously nowhere near draft boards now, but he’s got the right frame and archetype as that of a bench NBA player.
8. G Elliot Cadeau
I wanted to put Final Four Most Outstanding Player much higher on this list, but couldn’t quite pull the trigger. Elliot Cadeau played some of his best basketball during the NCAA Tournament and will be forever remembered for his performances in the Final Four. However, the NBA is beginning to value height and length more and more as time progresses. He is generously listed as 6-foot-1. Small point guards who aren’t elite three-point shooters are going out of style in the NBA unfortunately.
7. G Nimari Burnett
Like Grady, Burnett displays the archetype of a typical three-and-D type player. Burnett doesn’t thrive when asked to create his own shot, but he could thrive in a bench role in the NBA a la Caleb Houstan if he can become an elite three-point shooter. He was very good but not quite elite in his college career which will prevent him from being drafted. However, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see him invited to the NBA Summer League and try to make a name for himself this offseason.
6. G/F Roddy Gayle Jr.
April Roddy’s ascent from frustrating shooter to lock-down defender and the best dunker on the team will become the stuff of legend over time. In college, Gayle seemed to get more athletic the older he became, which is quite rare. Like Burnett, his lack of on-ball playmaking will hamper his draft status, but several players just like him have latched onto NBA rosters via Summer League invites over the years. It’s not impossible.
5. G L.J. Cason
As we’ve covered extensively, Cason suffered a season-ending injury, which fortunately didn’t derail Michigan’s season. Before the injury, he was playing arguably as well as anyone on the roster. Cason was explosive on the fast break, shot lights out from three, and provided instant offense whenever called upon. While still young and a bit raw, his weaknesses are the types of things that can be corrected over time as there are certainly no physical limitations to his game. Assuming he returns to full health with no lingering side effects, Cason has a very legitimate chance to be drafted to the NBA in the next few years.
4. G Trey McKenney
A former five-star, McKenney led his dream school to the National Championship as a true freshman. That’s the type of thing dreams are made of. Following Cason’s injury, his role exploded as he became the primary backup ball-handler. He also became Michigan’s most reliable shooter in the tournament as evidenced in the Final Four game against Arizona (6-of-9 from three). Next season will likely be his last in Ann Arbor before heading to the NBA, potentially as a lottery pick if things go right.
3. C Aday Mara
Now things start to get serious. Mara was the difference maker for Michigan basketball this season. His rim protection was the anchor of the No. 1 defense in all of college basketball. He’s projected to be a mid-first round pick, which leaves him with a stay-or-go decision. In the NBA’s eyes, he will need to bulk out his incredibly wiry frame. However, his passing is incredible for his size and he possesses a nice shooting stroke despite the limited attempts this year. He will likely be looked at as a top-end developmental pick should he decide to go pro.
2. F Morez Johnson Jr.
Morez Johnson Jr. proved to be much more than just a rim-runner in Ann Arbor this year. He is an incredibly versatile defender, able to stay in front of guards consistently despite being 6-foot-9. He also developed a post game on offense and was much more than just a dunker this season.
At the NBA level, Johnson could contribute right away in a reserve role. He’s got the size and strength to match up physically and is an excellent free throw shooter for the position. Should he declare this offseason, he could be a serviceable big man in the NBA for a decade or longer such as an Isaiah Stewart type player.
1. F Yaxel Lendeborg
No one helped their draft stock more in the NCAA Tournament than Yaxel Lendeborg. The constant knock on his draft stock will be his age — he’ll be 24 before the NBA season starts — but he proved time and again he can impact the game in every facet.
At 6-foot-9, Lendeborg can guard any position on the court. He is elite at finishing through contact, and shot 82 percent from the free throw line and 37 percent from three. Most importantly, he is patient and lets the game come to him. Lendeborg doesn’t need the ball in his hands to make a massive impact on the game, which makes him incredibly valuable. He proved to also be incredibly tough, as evidenced by his play during the National Championship essentially on one leg.
I would expect Lendeborg to be drafted either late in the lottery or just outside of it. Under the right circumstances, he could start in the NBA right away. His age may prevent him from becoming a star in the league, but he has every single tool necessary to become a very, very good NBA player. It will be fascinating to watch his career progression.
Read the full article here
