Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg joked that he feared getting traded amid rumors that the franchise is targeting Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Davis is a trade candidate, while James is a free agent. However, to make both signings happen, Golden State will have to make multiple deals to free up the non-taxpayer mid-level exception worth $15 million to sign James.
On Monday, Lendeborg admitted he’s seen the rumors after receiving texts from his friends about potentially playing with a big four of Steph Curry, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Draymond Green.
“It was hard to stay away from it cause my friends kept sending it to me in the group chats. They’re just telling me, ‘The lineup would be ridiculous,’ and stuff like that. So I’m like, ‘Man, where would I fit in this?’ It’s definitely been kind of interesting to see. I’m excited to see how it plays out,” Lendeborg told reporters after his first Warriors practice on Monday.
“Hopefully, I don’t get the back end of that and get traded or something. Hopefully, I can stick around to see how that goes and learn from all the veterans that are gonna come in.”
Yaxel Lendeborg also addressed his potential role if the Warriors manage to scoop up LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Lendeborg understands that he would have to be the “energy” shifter and make the hustle plays as the younger player on the roster.
The Warriors selected Lendeborg with the 11th pick over trading the selection for help-now players. However, that’s how Golden State likely views Lendeborg. He’s 23 years old, so he’s one of the older players in his class and brings multiple years of college experience, which could see him jump up the pecking order in Steve Kerr’s rotation, even with the potential additions of Davis and James.
Warriors will not trade Yaxel Lendeborg for Anthony Davis: Report
Yaxel Lendeborg might not have to worry about his future at all. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Golden State Warriors love the 23-year-old rookie and have no intentions of trading him to the Washington Wizards for Anthony Davis.
“I don’t think there’s any chance anyone is getting Yaxel [Lendeborg], the Warriors love him,” Shelburne said on Monday during an interview on the Willard and Dubs radio show. “They had him rated top-five in the draft. They were thrilled he fell to them.”
Lendeborg is the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year and was the key component of Michigan’s title run last season. However, due to his age, many general managers picking in the top-10 range passed on him. The Warriors were comfortable banking on his talent more and ignoring the age factor.
Given his upside, it would make a ton of sense for Golden State to stick with Lendeborg and have him mentored by the likes of Steph Curry, Draymond Green and potential Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Lendeborg has also been labeled as the “Dominican LeBron” for his size and versatility.
Read more:
- Insider Makes Massive Jaylen Brown Prediction After Ja Morant’s Trade to Trail Blazers
- Can Warriors Sign LeBron James and Anthony Davis After Kristaps Porzingis’ M Deal? NBA Salary Cap Expert Suggests Pathway
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