It has been almost three days since the Golden State Warriors selected Yaxel Lendeborg with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and he’s already fitting in well with the veterans. He has already had his fair share of lighthearted back-and-forth interactions with Steph Curry and Draymond Green.
Speaking to the media during his introductory press conference on Friday, Lendeborg mentioned that his locker is right next to Curry’s. He emphasized that he understands playing alongside the future Hall of Famer isn’t going to be a walk in the park. Because of that, he wants to take advantage of every waking moment to learn as much as possible from him.
“They put my locker right next to Steph’s, so I know we got a lot of work to do to become best friends and all, but I’m definitely excited,” he said. “I’m gonna be able to learn as much as I can from him. Hopefully some of his shooting can rub off on me and we can go a long way.”
He also noted that Curry added him and the Warriors’ second-round pick, Lajae Jones, into a group chat on the night of the draft.
As far as his collegiate career goes, Lendeborg took a challenging path but steadily made his way to the pros. His development curve was exactly what it needed to be to excel at the next level. He was a vital contributor to the Michigan Wolverines’ championship run, averaging 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. For his stellar efforts, he was named Big Ten Player of the Year and a consensus First-Team All-American.
With the positive vibes that Lendeborg brings to the table, he should quickly find himself playing meaningful minutes on this Warriors team.
Yaxel Lendeborg Gets Honest About Warriors Coach Steve Kerr
Yaxel Lendeborg also understands that just because he has made it to the pros, it doesn’t mean he is guaranteed to get playing time. The 23-year-old forward has been taking in the input of the coaching staff and focusing on the areas of his game that he still needs to work on.
He also talked about his new Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, noting:
“He doesn’t normally play rookies as much. He has a history of that. But the way the team is looking right now, I’m going to have a really good chance to play, maybe even start.”
Lendeborg’s style of play fits in quite well with what Kerr asks of his forwards. The talented rookie provides exactly what the Warriors need at the position.
While we know what he accomplished in college, it remains to be seen what he’ll bring at the NBA level. Lendeborg earned his way to the league, and the Warriors are very high on him as a player. Nothing is written in stone, but Golden State is hoping they’ve found a diamond in the rough.
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