Eyes, attention and major expectations will be cast upon Yaxel Lendeborg throughout his rookie year. Lendeborg, taken No. 11 in the 2026 NBA Draft, is the Warriors’ highest pick since selecting Jonathan Kuminga seventh overall in 2021, and the highest yet under general manager Mike Dunleavy. But Lendeborg is a much different prospect than Kuminga was, and he’s entering a vastly different situation than Kuminga stepped into.
When the Warriors picked Kuminga, they were gambling on an 18-year-old who produced inefficient stats in 13 games for the G League Ignite. Kuminga turns 24 on Oct. 6. Lendeborg, before ever playing an NBA regular-season game, turns 24 on Sept. 30, six days before Kuminga’s birthday.
There’s a trust in choosing Lendeborg to champion the next phase of the Warriors. He isn’t a teenager. He’s a man stepping into an adult world of basketball, surrounded by stars trying to hide their gray hairs and squeeze out their last ounces of glory.
Experience isn’t an issue for Lendeborg; it’s an advantage. He played 190 total games in college. The final 40 were a storybook season that ended...