With the 2026 edition of the NBA draft in the books, it’s time to evaluate the Golden State Warriors’ selection in the first round.
At No. 11 overall, the Warriors added Michigan’s All-American wing Yaxel Lendeborg. Lendeborg recently won a championship for the Wolverines, averaging 15.1 points on 51.5% shooting from the field with 6.8 boards, 3.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.
The Warriors Wire team of Mack Baltes, Adam Taylor and Tommy Call III joined forces to break down everything about the pick and give their final grade on Mike Dunleavy Jr.’s selection at No. 11 overall. Below is the Warriors Wire 2026 first-round report card.
Mack Baltes, Warriors Wire
While Golden State has failed to succeed in the “two timelines” approach in years past, Tuesday night’s 2026 NBA Draft felt like the night where it might actually work. Did the Warriors get a great fit for their current roster in Yaxel Lendeborg? Absolutely. However, if Golden State isn’t able to advance deep in a difficult Western Conference playoff picture before the eventual retirement of Stephen Curry, Warriors fans will have wished that the team selected a prospect with much higher upside. Plenty of those players were available even if Golden State traded down, as two potential pre-draft targets (Labaron Philon and Cameron Carr) fell deep into the first round. While their impact may not be as strong as Lendeborg’s in year one, considering their high upside and the potential assets gained by trading down, the Warriors could have afforded to go in another direction.
Grade: B+
Adam Taylor, Warriors Wire
Yaxel Lendenborg should finally solve a long-standing issue for the Golden State Warriors in the middle of the floor. He’s good enough to earn minutes immediately, and will have some excellent mentors in Draymond Green and Al Horford, with both knowing how to thrive in an elite front court. Im curious how Lendenborg’s perimeter shooting will translate to the NBA, especially with the Warriors’ pace of play. Still, there’s a chance he becomes a double-double machine within the next two years. Great pick from Golden State, and a smart move for now, and the post-Curry era.
Grade: A+
Tommy Call III, Warriors Wire
Let’s start with the negative: the early knock on Lendeborg appears to center on his age. He will be 24-years-old when his first NBA season starts. But the flip side, and more positive, is that he could be ready to contribute at a competent level right out of the gate. Lendeborg gives the Warriors something they need desperately on the wing. A plus-rebounder, willing playmaker and switchable defender. A Lendeborg, Gui Santos tandem at the wing could be formidable around Steph Curry’s shooting and Golden State’s veteran core.
While I like Lendeborg as a prospect and believe he was a solid pick at No. 11, what I like most about this pick is the type of outlook it signals for the 2025-26 season. They could’ve gone with a younger prospect, drafted a player that maybe needs more development before entering Steve Kerr’s rotation. Yet, we’ve seen that before, and it hasn’t worked. The selection of Lendeborg signals the team is ready to go all in on what it takes for Curry and the Warriors right away. They are a veteran-based team, and that isn’t changing in the near future. One pick of a younger prospect wasn’t changing that for 2025-26. Results will matter right away with Kerr heading a Curry-led team.
For the Warriors to be competitive in the Western Conference right now, they’ll need to lean on that veteran core throughout the season and potential playoff run. The Warriors in 2026-27 only work if their veterans mesh and squeeze every bit of what’s left in the tank. While the base of your core still surrounds Curry and company, Lendeborg being able to contribute and fit in as a rookie helps solve Golden State’s puzzle a bit for the 2025-26 season.
Grade: A
This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors Wire Report Card: Grading the Yaxel Lendeborg selection
Reporting by Tommy Call III, Warriors Wire / Warriors Wire
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By Tommy Call III, Warriors Wire | USA TODAY Network
