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Yaxel Lendeborg claims he was offered upwards of $9 million to play for the Kentucky basketball program. Mark Pope was asked his side of the story ahead of his team’s NCAA Tournament opener.
The head coach refused to provide clarity on the Wildcats‘ pursuits. Instead, he took a shot at the media.
Was Lendeborg lying? For now, all we have is his word.
Kentucky missed on Yaxel Lendeborg.
The transfer forward was an all-defensive player at UAB over his last two seasons. He spurned the most recent NBA Draft to enter the portal.
Given his production on both sides of the ball, he was highly sought after. He ended up signing a massive NIL deal with Michigan ahead of his senior season.
Lendeborg was set to make near $3 million as an NBA rookie. He profiled as a late first-round pick in 2025.
The Wolverines made it worth his while to play one more college season. Their recruitment did not come without competition.
Lendeborg was a hot name on the transfer market. He received interest from every major program in the nation, including Kentucky.
The Wildcats were a big spender in the offseason. They are believed to have the most expensive roster in college basketball, topping $20 million.
According to Lendeborg, they tried unsuccessfully to buy his commitment.
“They started the number with $7 to 9 (million). They were pretty much going off on the route like we’ll pay him anything to get here.”
-Yaxel Lendeborg
Mark Pope did not deny the claim.
Mark Pope was asked about a quote from Yaxel Lendeborg that he was offered between $7-9 million by Kentucky
He doesn’t answer the question and does media commentary instead pic.twitter.com/nS1BNqW9i6
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) March 19, 2026
Pope danced around a question regarding Kentucky’s supposed offer to Yaxel Lendeborg. He, instead, went after the media.
“There’s been such blurred lines between all media,” the coach said. “I don’t think anybody differentiates between social media with someone in their underwear in their basement that has nothing to do vs. the most noted journalist in the world…
“The line gets blurred together and then we just start reporting what everyone else is reporting.”
Some could read into that as a denial. He insinuated that the claims were fake. He did not definitively say yes or no.
The Lendeborg story came from the Associated Press. The reports on Kentucky’s roster spending came from CBS. Those are not insignificant sources.
Pope’s skirting of the situation has only fueled the belief that Kentucky offered Lendeborg a massive number to play for the Wildcats – and failed.
His refusal to gives more weight to the alleged swing and miss.