SAN FRANCISCO – On the day Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg was born, it’s entirely possible that 14-year-old Stephen Curry was in a gym honing his jump shot and 12-year-old Draymond Green’s was giving his mother fits of annoyance.Yet Lendeborg, who turns 24 on Wednesday, is considered “old,” because he’s an NBA rookie. Green, Curry and the rest of the Warriors are welcoming the grizzled kid.
As they should, because they’re going to need the 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward from the University of Michigan.
Any chance for Golden State to have success early in the 2026-27 NBA season is largely dependent on Lendeborg making an impact alongside Curry and Green, two veterans with a combined eight championship rings and 16 All-Star Game appearance over 32 NBA seasons.
“He’s clearly going to play a ton,” coach Steve Kerr said of Lendeborg on Monday.
Curry, Green and Lendeborg will be the primary forces that determine Golden State’s fortunes as the calendar dives toward 2027. If they stay healthy and play well, the Warriors might be able to hang around the middle of the Western...