Yaxel Lendeborg fell right into the Golden State Warriors’ lap at No. 11 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. He was widely viewed as one of the top prospects in the draft, and as a 6-foot-9, 240-pound stretch big who shot 37.2% from deep last season and won a national championship at Michigan, the fit with Golden State made too much sense. He justified the investment on Tuesday night against the Lakers, scoring 17 points to go along with nine rebounds, two assists, and one block in just 21 minutes.
He shot 7 of 11 from the field and looked the part next to Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, and Draymond Green in the starting lineup. With Jimmy Butler set to miss the start of the 2026-27 season while recovering from a torn ACL, Lendeborg should get plenty of minutes right away. But apparently, Lendeborg wasn’t the only player the Warriors had on their board on draft night.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported that Golden State had Lendeborg and Brayden Burries “neck-and-neck” before the Milwaukee Bucks swooped in and took the Arizona guard at No. 10. More news: Dylan Harper Has Spurs’ Brass Buzzing Ahead of NBA Season More news: Knicks Make Stance Clear on Karl-Anthony Towns’ $276 Million Extension Burries, a 6-foot-4 guard and former five-star recruit, played just one season with the Wildcats but immediately looked like one of the best freshmen in the country. He averaged 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 steals in 29.8 minutes per game, while shooting 49.1% from the field and 39.1% from 3-point range.
He earned first-team All-Big 12 honors and led the Wildcats to a 36-3 record and the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. Burries caught scouts’ eyes as a strong two-way guard who can score at all three levels, finish through contact, and create turnovers on the other end. That’s exactly the type of player who would have fit perfectly next to Curry and Podziemski.
Basketball, he also would have been getting a homecoming of sorts with the Warriors. But the Bucks clearly thought just as much of him, and now he lands in Milwaukee with a chance to beat out Ryan Rollins for the starting spot next to Tyler Herro, potentially forming a dynamic one-two punch in the backcourt. Lendeborg, meanwhile, arrives in Golden State with championship pedigree and a skill set that allows the Warriors to space the floor even more and have a stronger presence in the paint this season.
It’s a win-win for both sides, and Lendeborg will have chances early to prove Golden State was right to take a chance on him. More news: Jaylen Brown Gushes Over 76ers Teammate VJ Edgecombe After Preseason Opener
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