Yaxel Lendeborg has given the Golden State Warriors' fans a reason to be excited for the upcoming season. The rookie has impressed in his first two preseason outings, appears to be gelling well with his new teammates, and fills a needed role for the franchise. Factor in Lendeborg's NBA-ready skill set and his overall upside, and there's every reason to believe the Warriors have landed a stud with the 11th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
However, according to ESPN's Anthony Slater, Lendeborg wasn't the only name on Golden State's big board heading into draft night. Brayden Burries also had multiple fans throughout the organization and could have easily landed in the Bay Area had he been available when the Warriors were on the clock.
"On their final
draft board in June, the Warriors -- who owned the No. 11 pick -- had Lendeborg and Arizona guard Brayden Burries ranked neck-and-neck, behind the consensus group of prospects up top," Slater wrote. "If Burries was there, team sources have indicated they would've drafted the 20-year-old combo guard for his upside. He had fans all over the organization."
The Milwaukee Bucks ultimately selected Burries with the 10th overall pick, taking him off the board just one spot too soon for the Warriors. Nevertheless, Lendeborg is already proving to be a strong fit for Golden State, so it's unlikely that there are any regrets over how things played out.
Lendeborg has started both preseason games he's played in and projects to be part of Golden State's starting five this season.
"He's going to play a ton," Kerr told ESPN. "Frankly, he deserves it. He's one of our best players already."
Kerr has already noted that the rookie is "unbelievably coachable," too. Burries may have been high on the Warriors' big board, but judging by how well Lendeborg fits, they landed the right guy for what the team needed.
This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebookand Twitter!
This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors nearly took another prospect over Yaxel Lendeborg.
