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Questions loomed on what the Golden State Warriors would do with the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Will they trade it? Will they make a selection? We finally have the answer.
The Warriors selected Yaxel Lendeborg out of Michigan with the 11th overall pick in the NBA draft.
The Warriors had a bunch of needs to address with the draft from player health to another ball-handler, playmaker, scorer, two-way wing and big man, preferably a center. Lendeborg is coming off of a national championship and is seemingly the answer to Golden State's desire for a player ready to play immediately that can space the floor.
Golden State is ready to welcome Lendeborg as he finds a way to come and fit in with face of the franchise Stephen Curry and other returning Warriors, under Steve Kerr, who re-signed with the team this offseason.
The Warriors concluded the 2025-26 regular season with a 37-45 record. Despite the losing record, Golden State managed to earn a berth in the NBA Play-In Tournament as the 10th seed. They defeated the Los Angeles Clippers with an epic comeback victory, but were eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in the final play-in game for the 8th seed in the 2026.
Lendeborg comes in at a peculiar time where Golden State was winning expectations, but have accepted that their days as champions of the league may be no longer. The Warriors will look for ways that Lendeborg can contribute now and prove to be a piece of their future.
NBA DRAFT WINNERS AND LOSERS: Deep class, big swings after No. 4
NBA 2026 DRAFT TRACKER: Who every team picked in the first round
Here's how USA TODAY Sports grades the Golden State Warriors' first round draft selection:
Here's a list of the Warriors draft selections in the last 10 years.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Golden State Warriors win with 2026 NBA Draft pick Yaxel Lendeborg
Continue reading...
Will they trade it? Will they make a selection? We finally have the answer.
The Warriors selected Yaxel Lendeborg out of Michigan with the 11th overall pick in the NBA draft.
The Warriors had a bunch of needs to address with the draft from player health to another ball-handler, playmaker, scorer, two-way wing and big man, preferably a center. Lendeborg is coming off of a national championship and is seemingly the answer to Golden State's desire for a player ready to play immediately that can space the floor.
Golden State is ready to welcome Lendeborg as he finds a way to come and fit in with face of the franchise Stephen Curry and other returning Warriors, under Steve Kerr, who re-signed with the team this offseason.
The Warriors concluded the 2025-26 regular season with a 37-45 record. Despite the losing record, Golden State managed to earn a berth in the NBA Play-In Tournament as the 10th seed. They defeated the Los Angeles Clippers with an epic comeback victory, but were eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in the final play-in game for the 8th seed in the 2026.
Lendeborg comes in at a peculiar time where Golden State was winning expectations, but have accepted that their days as champions of the league may be no longer. The Warriors will look for ways that Lendeborg can contribute now and prove to be a piece of their future.
NBA DRAFT WINNERS AND LOSERS: Deep class, big swings after No. 4
NBA 2026 DRAFT TRACKER: Who every team picked in the first round
Grading the Golden State Warriors first round draft pick
Here's how USA TODAY Sports grades the Golden State Warriors' first round draft selection:
- The grade: A
- Why?: This is a great pickup for the Warriors in terms of upside and readiness. Lendeborg is seen as an older player, but at 23, going on 24-years-old, he's the perfect piece to plug in to what Golden State is building.
Golden State Warriors' draft selections in last decade
Here's a list of the Warriors draft selections in the last 10 years.
- 2026: Yaxel Lendeborg
- 2025: Koby Brea (traded to PHX)
- 2024: Quinten Post
- 2023: Brandin Podziemski
- 2022: Patrick Baldwin, Tyrese Martin (traded to ATL), Gui Santos
- 2021: Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody
- 2020: James Wiseman, Nico Mannion, Justinian Jessup
- 2019: Jordan Poole, Eric Paschall, Miye Oni (traded to Utah)
- 2018: Jacob Evans
- 2017: none
- 2016: Damian Jones
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Golden State Warriors win with 2026 NBA Draft pick Yaxel Lendeborg
Continue reading...
