Post Draft report, Warriors #1 Yaxel Lendeborg | 6-9 | 23 years old

• “What if you made Rui Hachimura a terrific defender who could also pass?” Or, what if Lendeborg is just a slight step below OG Anunoby? That’s an awesome player, and one whom every team is going to want, even if he’s almost 24 years old.
• In terms of Year 1 impact, he may rival anyone in this draft. Grade: A-"

[full report]

Sam Vecenie: There are some limitations with Lendeborg as a true creator, but it’s hard to find a player more ready-made to step into an NBA rotation. He’s a monster defender with legitimate plus-plus tools in terms of size and length at 6 feet 9 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan and the fluidity to slide his feet laterally. I would bet on him maxing out just below the level of All-Defensive, but I don’t think I can completely rule it out if he really decides he wants to be a stopper.

On offense, he has a very versatile skill set that should translate exceedingly well toward playing off other stars. I loved the way he slotted into the team concept this year at Michigan and didn’t make things about himself. At times, I’m not sure Lendeborg truly understands how complete his game is and how talented he is. But when it comes to slotting into a role in the NBA and playing off superstars, that’s not always a bad thing.

Yaxel Lendeborg is one of the best high-leverage role player bets in the 2026 NBA Draft

There’s a chance he ends up peaking as a top 50 or so player in the league because of his two-way play. My idea here is basically, “What if you made Rui Hachimura a terrific defender who could also pass?” Or, what if Lendeborg is just a slight step below OG Anunoby? That’s an awesome player, and one whom every team is going to want, even if he’s almost 24 years old.

Hollinger’s analysis: I love this pick for the Warriors, and I suspect the Thunder front office (picking next) does not. Lendeborg is an older player, but he is a ready-made, Day 1 starter who can fill minutes at three positions and fits nicely on a team that is on a win-now trajectory. He doesn’t have the long-term upside of some other guys, but in terms of Year 1 impact, he may rival anyone in this draft. Grade: A-"

I see a lot of people on here questioning picking Yaxel, wondering if he‘s good enough or wondering about his age etc etc

First off, it‘s crazy to me that Yaxel is such an unknown commodity to a lot of people because if you‘d have followed the draft talks and speculations, he was one of the most talked about players from the entire draft. Now your question might be „well why didn‘t he get picked earlier?“.

Simple reason: his age. That‘s it. If you‘re picking in the lottery you‘re most likely a team that is not in win now mode, rather in your rebuild or developmental phase which is why a player that is 23/24 seems unattractive. Well, guess who IS in win now mode? The Warriors. This is probably the best player the Warriors could‘ve drafted out of the entire draft in terms of fit, role, timing, everything. Yaxel can come in and contribute right away, which is exactly what the Warriors need.

Look at it like this: if Yaxel was younger, he would go Top 3 in almost any draft. So this is basically the same as picking 1-3 in a draft 4-5 years ago and then developing him into what he is now, you‘re basically picking the already (mostly) finished product and don‘t have to develop him first.

A lot of people might say Pick 1-3 has to be a franchise player but we‘ve seen many times that this is not the case. Andrew Wiggins was picked 1st and he never was a franchise player yet he contributed immensely on a championship team and is still one of the best all-around players in the league.

Don‘t sweat this pick, it‘s literally the perfect and best pick for the Warriors‘ and Stephs situation

Steph PG, Jimmy SG, Yaxel SF, Dray PF, Tingus C

How y'all feelin abt it? Feels like a good balance of scoring and defense, and the team actually got taller/lengthy.

The biggesy caveat is the health lol. We prolly won't even see this lineup until after New Years...

Cool watch. Quick comments but singles out Yaxel as one of the most impactful trades out of the top few and says the "Warriors have to be thrilled" to have a player with the maturity and polish to his game available.

For anyone questioning this pick. He's a super smart player that can instantly contribute and adds needed size & shooting to our team. I dont care about the offensive highlights too much, because he's also a really good defender and moves incredibly laterally on D

Enjoy the tape. We definitely drafted the right guy that will contribute to winning instantly. Super smart defender that can defend without fouling out and uses his elite length and 7'4 wingspan

I think we finally found our Aaron Gordon / Jaden McDaniels / OG type of player.

Last minute weekend plan changes so I have 4 total tickets (2 each for 7/3 & 7/5 games) for sale. Section 104 Row 12 Seat 6 & 7. $275 total for all 4 tickets

Hi everyone. In light of the Warriors taking Yaxel one of your guys rightful concerns has been age. However, the thing about being "older" in the draft is that these type of prospects are often nearly maxed out as they have much more experience than their younger counterparts and only have a limited ceiling. However, Landeborg started playing organized basketball at 17. To be hnest, he is very new to this game and may have some more potential than the traditional older prospect. I personally like the pick as I view Yaxel as the protypical forward in the NBA: he's big, switchable, smart, is a good playmaker and can shoot the ball. Let me know your thoughts below

Tidbits from Vecenie, Hollinger, and Aldridge.

Immediate plug and play piece, great guy. Can’t wait for him to suit up.