It has been very difficult to pinpoint where Michigan Basketball’s Yaxel Lendeborg may end up on draft night. He has taken a unique path to get to the NBA Draft, but now he is a certified top-15 pick who has attended private workouts with seven teams, and he has two more scheduled for next week.
On Thursday, Lendeborg was in San Francisco, California for a private workout with the Golden State Warriors, who hold the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. With a roster that stars a 38 year-old point guard
and a 36 year-old power forward, the Warriors need to get young, and they are very much in a position to draft an already-polished college player who can be a plug-and-play weapon right away.
Lendeborg’s 6-foot-9, 241-pound frame makes him one of the more versatile front court prospects in this class. He can reliably guard on the perimeter or protect the rim, and his offensive game has evolved steadily over his college career to include consistent shooting, passing and off-ball movement.
What comes through just as clearly, though, is his understanding of what role he’s being asked to fill — no matter who drafts him in two weeks.
“My versatility, I can bring a lot of different things to the game, and being able to play multiple positions for these guys and do whatever I need to do to win,” Lendeborg said after his workout with Golden State on Thursday.
“I think (my skillset) fits perfectly (as a passer). (The Warriors) do a lot of off-ball moving sets, a lot of action to get Steph (Curry) open, and playing off his gravity will make it a lot easier for me to make reads and for the other guys to get open as well. So I think it’ll be perfect.”
The Warriors are chasing one more championship window around Curry, and what they need alongside him is someone who can defend multiple positions, make smart reads and keep the offense running when the ball isn’t in Curry’s hands.
At Michigan, Lendeborg was asked to do just that. He had the ability to become a primary ball-handler on a moment’s notice, but he was also content with taking a step back and drawing the defense in his direction as his teammates took over. When asked where he thought he could make the biggest impact as a rookie, his answer reflected that same awareness.
“I would say, five assists a game maybe to start off, you know, just a lot of defense, fast-break kind of bucket opportunities for me. And depending on if I’m (with Golden State) or anywhere else, my role would be a lot different, but if I was here, I’d be more like a secondary ball handler,” Lendeborg said. “Whenever Steph is getting taken out of the game, I’ll be there to assist, maybe provide a little bit more offense or instant offense in a way.”
Lendeborg spent three years at a junior college before transferring to the University of Alabama at Birmingham for two seasons and ending his career at Michigan. He was unquestionably one of the top players in college basketball last year, as he was a consensus First-Team All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year.
After winning the National Championship, Lendeborg has proven to NBA scouts he knows what it takes to win. For a team like Golden State that has seen consistent success over the last decade, an addition like Lendeborg could be the perfect culture fit for the last few years of the Curry era.
“A lot of people like winners, so me being in the position that I was in this past year, it just showcased that I’m willing to put aside any stat or anything about myself to win,” Lendeborg said. “Being in a winning culture, a winning program shows you a lot of different things that you have to do, not just as far as sacrifice, but just as far as everyday living to bring a spark and bring kind of good energy to the squad.”
The questions surrounding Lendeborg heading into draft night are more about his ceiling, not floor. His three-point shooting has improved the last three years, but it still isn’t at the level required of a small forward in the NBA, according to him. His defensive versatility is an area he also identified as needing further development. And not to mention, he will be 24 years old come the start of the season, which is nearly six years older than the projected top three picks.
For Golden State, however, that debate may matter less than it would elsewhere. A team built around established veterans is an environment designed to maximize exactly the kind of player Lendeborg projects to be. He’s polished enough to contribute immediately, versatile enough to fit multiple lineup configurations and culturally oriented toward winning.
“Man, it would be amazing (to play with Steph Curry),” Lendeborg said. “He provides so much gravity on the court that it really makes it super easy for other guys to score, other guys to just showcase any ability that they have.
“I’ll be very excited to get the opportunity. He’s a great player, and a great human being as well. I got to meet him twice, so it’s really nice, and I feel like I will learn a lot playing with him as well.”
Lendeborg has met with the Thunder, Heat, Bulls, Bucks, Hornets, Mavericks and Warriors. He has just the Clippers and Hawks left. There are a multitude of possibilities for where he could go, but given how critical this year’s draft is for the Warriors, it is hard to see Lendeborg get past No. 11.
The 2026 NBA Draft takes place June 23-24 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
