Spurs may soon pull off another draft heist with help from the Hawks

It's never too early to talk about the 2026 NBA Draft, especially with the San Antonio Spurs having a potential lottery pick. If the season were to end today, their selection would be 27th, but they own a pick swap with the Atlanta Hawks.

The Hawks are currently ninth in the Eastern Conference and face an uphill battle to make the playoffs, which could result in the Spurs ending up with the 12th selection in this year's draft. Drafting solely off need is generally a no-no, particularly in the lottery.

Still, San Antonio should strongly consider picking a power forward, with Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg being a terrific option. The long-term outlook at power forward looks better than it did a month ago with the emergence of Carter Bryant.

However, Jeremy Sochan not panning out and Harrison Barnes showing his age means they should be looking at long-term options. The NBA draft is the perfect place to find one, and Lendeborg seems like a ready-made option at the four.

Yaxel Lendeborg would be a perfect fit on the Spurs

Lendeborg is posting 14.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game with an impressive 62.2 true shooting. Those numbers may not jump off the screen, but he is an advanced stats darling who has his fingerprints on all aspects of the game.

He's a terrific defender, passer, and versatile scorer who can knock down spot-ups and pull-ups and get to the rim. Lendeborg's numbers are strong across the board, but they come with a big asterisk.

He is already 23 years old. In fact, he will turn 24 before the start of his rookie year. Recent history suggests that the Spurs haven't shied away from taking seasoned rookies, with Derrick White being case in point.

He was 23 and a half when he was selected 29th back in 2017. It was obviously the right call to draft him, but it's not as clear-cut with Lendeborg. Taking a 23-year-old in the lottery has often led to disappointment.

Older lottery prospects usually either flame out fast or never find their footing. That's not fair to Lendeborg, who has a well-rounded game and actually started playing organized basketball late, only doing so at age 15. Actually, he played just 11 games in high school.

Yaxel Lendeborg would be a draft steal for the Spurs

That should ease some of the age-related concerns surrounding his game, even though it may still keep him from being drafted in the top 10. Generally, older college players get dinged during the draft process.

Many draft experts discount their performance since they are usually stronger and more experienced than the younger players they go up against. To his credit, Lendeborg was terrific last season too, so it's not like he suddenly started putting up strong numbers.

At UAB, he averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks, 1.7 steals, and 35.7% from three. Not only that, but most viewed him as a late first-round pick in last year's draft.

With him now being a more well-known player and continuing to put up strong numbers, his draft stock has risen, making him a potential late lottery pick. And if he's still available when the Spurs select, they shouldn't hesitate to draft him.