SAN FRANCISCO ― The Golden State Warriors might have won the steal of the 2026 NBA Draft, landing Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg with the No. 11 overall pick of the first round.
Lendeborg put the league on notice over the summer, helping lead his summer league team filled with first-year, second-year and two-way players to the 2026 Summer League title, earning MVP along the way.
A confident Lendeborg is going to strut his stuff, and on Monday during the Warriors media day, he told reporters what he believes his ceiling is and how good he thinks he can be this season.
"For me, I would probably just say playing meaningful minutes. You know, when the game is on the line, I want to be the guy on the court trying to make a play on defense or offense,
whatever it has to come to," Lendeborg said. "Then just hopefully becoming like First-Team All-Rookie. I feel like I could win Rookie of the Year, but that's not my main focus. I just want to be able to set in stone here on the Warriors."
Warriors rookie Lendeborg finds way with vets
Lendeborg has been making his presence known in the NBA space, as well as with the Warriors. His ever-growing relationship with Draymond Green is nonstop banter and fun between the rookie and vet.
"It's been very, like, funny. You know, very goofy in a way. He's definitely like one of those uncles that you have that you see at a barbecue one time and don't see them for a long time, you know. So it's definitely kind of cool to have him around like that," Lendeborg said.
His bond with Green came as a surprise, he said.
"I didn't expect it to be like that, you know, because he looks super mean. He looks like, I don't even know you or I'm not going to talk to you kind of guy," Lendeborg said. "Being able to joke around with him -- I actually just took a picture with him, and it was kind of cool. I'm happy that he's that way, and he's allowing me to be kind of like annoying without him getting bothered for now."
He's been getting acclimated with his teammates; just as important, he's been winning over his veterans such as Green, Jimmy Butler, and Stephen Curry.
"Well, for me it would just be asking them a bunch of questions. At Jimmy's house I asked him every question that popped up, even maybe created some, just to ask some questions. I do that," Lendeborg said, on how he was able to gain respect from his vets.
"Just play basketball the right way. Let them know that I'm willing to do whatever," he added. "I'm getting all the rookie duty stuff like cleaning up the court, grabbing all these cards and stuff for them too. You know, just doing my job, making sure that I don't do nothing dumb."
Lendeborg knows that he won't be the main guy like he was during summer league. Instead, his focus will start on the defensive end, but if there's any challenge ahead, the rookie is willing to accept the call and step up.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors' Yaxel Lendeborg believes he could win Rookie of Year
