Warriors Take Yaxel Lendeborg, the Oldest Pick in the 2026 NBA Draft

Golden State selected 23-year-old Yaxel Lendeborg with the No. 11 pick in Tuesday’s 2026 NBA Draft, the oldest first-round prospect of a night dominated by teenagers and the Warriors’ highest selection in five years. The Michigan forward, the Big Ten Player of the Year and leader of the Wolverines’ 2026 national championship team, walked the Barclays Center stage with his mother beside him, the parent he credits with pushing him into basketball. The pair shared the moment just months after Yissel Raposo was diagnosed with appendix cancer per the SF Chronicle.

General manager Mike Dunleavy called the choice “profoundly logical” after the pick. A live ESPN shot of the Warriors’ draft room at Chase Center in the seconds before the pick showed owner Joe Lacob raising his arms in apparent frustration, then Dunleavy turning away to take a phone call, and the clip moved fast on social media. Dunleavy dismissed any friction as Lacob’s impatience to submit the selection. The pick arrived after a 37-45 finish that ended in the NBA’s play-in tournament, and a rebuilding roster that has now picked in the lottery for the first time since 2021.

A Plug-and-Play Wing the Warriors Couldn’t Wait For

Lendeborg averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in his lone season at Michigan, where he led the Wolverines to the 2026 national championship and won Big Ten Player of the Year. He shot 37.2 percent from three-point range and 82.4 percent from the free-throw line, and the advanced metrics at NBC Sports Bay Area ranked him third in the country in Morey Rate at 0.86, with a 64.6 true-shooting percentage. The same outlet’s grading column noted he led the country in plus-minus and ranked second in win shares.

At 6-foot-9, Lendeborg profiles as a two-way wing, the player type the league’s contenders are built around. The New York Knicks won this month’s NBA title with OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges flanking Jalen Brunson, and the NBC Sports Bay Area grading column asked the obvious question: can Lendeborg be Golden State’s version of Anunoby? The 23-year-old arrives with the polish of a six-year college veteran, having played 112 major-college games and six NCAA Tournament games. The last of those games ended with Lendeborg cutting down nets at the national championship in April.

Dunleavy described Lendeborg as a player who “can play everything” and “potentially can guard 1 to 5,” calling the offensive versatility the “intrigue” of the pick. Lendeborg’s defensive pedigree includes two American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year awards at UAB. With Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody both working back from knee injuries per the chicoer, the wing minutes are open on opening night in October.

Why the Warriors Stopped Betting on Teenagers

The 2026 first round was a teenager convention, and Lendeborg was the outlier. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the first five picks Tuesday were all teenagers, and the NBC Sports Bay Area draft coverage pegged Lendeborg as “at least three years older than any of the 10 players chosen before him.” Golden State of Mind’s draft coverage noted the oldest of the 10 prospects drafted ahead of Lendeborg, Brayden Burries, was a full three years younger. The Warriors’ three previous lottery picks, by contrast, were among the youngest names on their draft boards.

James Wiseman went second overall in 2020, Jonathan Kuminga went seventh overall in 2021, and Moses Moody went 14th overall in 2021. All three entered as members of the 19-and-under club, and none had established himself as a consistent NBA starter by the time the Warriors came up at No. 11. The Warriors had waited five years for the development curve to catch up. The 2026 draft offered something different: a 23-year-old ready to play on opening night.

Lendeborg’s six college seasons dwarfed the combined experience of the three previous lottery picks. The Warriors had traded their first-round pick each of the past two years, the most recent going to Miami in the Jimmy Butler deal per the SF Chronicle, and Tuesday’s choice was the highest pick Dunleavy has made since succeeding Bob Myers as general manager in June 2023.

The franchise’s only previous first-round pick under Dunleavy was Brandin Podziemski at No. 19 in 2023, a single top-20 selection in three years. Lendeborg’s selection breaks that pattern and signals the franchise is no longer waiting on lottery teenagers to develop. The Warriors’ highest pick in five years, per the SF Chronicle, comes with the highest expectations of any of Golden State’s lottery picks since 2021.

How the Warriors’ Draft Room Moment Went Viral

The ESPN broadcast cut to Golden State’s draft room at Chase Center with the Warriors on the clock at No. 11, and the moment went viral. Lacob raised his arms in apparent frustration, Dunleavy turned away to take a phone call, and the two appeared to exchange tense words. The clip moved on social media within minutes, and the assumptions were immediate: the Warriors were about to trade the pick, or Dunleavy and Lacob were at odds. The reality was more mundane.

I think Joe was like, ‘C’mon, let’s go ahead and pick the guy.’ I said, ‘Joe, we have time.’ He was just getting a little anxious about us taking Yaxel. The good thing was, because we were on the clock nobody could swoop in and take him.

General manager Mike Dunleavy addressed the rumors in his post-pick press conference at Barclays Center, calling the late calls “nothing major” and reiterating that Lendeborg was the pick. The Warriors had fielded a late push from the New Orleans Pelicans, who dangled forward Trey Murphy III as enticement, per NBA reporter Jake Fischer via the SF Chronicle, and have long coveted Murphy.

The Warriors had also fielded calls from other teams with the No. 11 pick on the clock. “We knew we were going to pick Yaxel at 11, he was the guy,” Dunleavy said in his post-pick press conference, and the Warriors turned their attention to Wednesday’s second round. The team holds the No. 54 overall pick, the 24th selection of the round, per the SF Chronicle. The pick at No. 11 is the highest by Dunleavy since he succeeded Bob Myers in June 2023, and the franchise’s first lottery pick since Kuminga at No. 7 in 2021.

Lendeborg Took the Long Way to the NBA

Lendeborg’s path to the Barclays Center stage was a winding one. The 6-foot-9 forward from Pennsauken, New Jersey spent three seasons at Arizona Western Community College in Yuma, Arizona, then transferred to Alabama-Birmingham, where he earned AAC Defensive Player of the Year in each of his two seasons. He transferred again to Michigan, where he spent one season and won the national championship, and he turns 24 in September.

The three stops, in order, were an unusual path for a top-15 pick.

• Arizona Western (three seasons): Junior college, Yuma. Lendeborg was a late bloomer whose recruiting profile put him below top NCAA programs out of high school.
• UAB (two seasons): The Blazers. Lendeborg earned two American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year awards and averaged 15.8 points and 11.0 rebounds per game across two seasons, per NBC Sports Bay Area.
• Michigan (one season): The Wolverines. The 6-foot-9 forward led Michigan in scoring at 15.1 points per game, finished second on the team in rebounds at 6.8, and added 3.2 assists and 1.2 blocks per game.

The three stops, in order, mapped a clear arc. A late growth spurt and a junior college route got him into the Division I conversation. A two-year run at UAB established him as one of the best defenders in the American Athletic Conference. The Michigan showcase put him in the lottery conversation, and the national championship in April capped the six-year journey.

His Michigan teammates nicknamed him “Dominican LeBron James,” a nod to the Dominican Republic national teams his parents, Yissel Raposo and Okary Lendeborg, both played for per the SF Chronicle. Lendeborg was a tearful interview on the ESPN broadcast, calling his mother the reason he made it to the league. “I got here because of her,” Lendeborg told ESPN’s Lisa Salters. “She pushed a dream, forced me to go out in the world and become a man.”

Raposo said of her son getting drafted: “I feel so blessed. It’s a dream come true for us, and for Yaxel.” The “Dominican LeBron” Lendeborg now turns his attention to his NBA career, and Chase Center is his next stop.

Who the Warriors Passed On at No. 11

Lendeborg was not the only name on Golden State’s board at No. 11, and the Warriors entered the night weighing the trade market. They were high on Morez Johnson Jr., the energetic power forward from Michigan, who was taken at No. 9 by the Dallas Mavericks, a team led by former Michigan coach Dusty May per the chicoer. They also liked Brayden Burries, the combo guard from Arizona, who went at No. 10 to the Milwaukee Bucks after the Warriors registered strong interest.

The two prospects still on the board after the Warriors picked offered different skills.

• Aday Mara, C, Michigan: 7-foot-3 center drafted No. 12 by Oklahoma City.
• Nate Ament, F, Tennessee: Forward drafted No. 13 by Miami, with the pick reportedly on its way to Milwaukee.

Aday Mara, a 7-foot-3 center from Michigan, was drafted No. 12 by Oklahoma City. Nate Ament, a Tennessee forward, went No. 13 to Miami, with the pick reportedly on its way to Milwaukee. The local angle was notable: Michigan had three first-round picks in a span of four selections, with Lendeborg, Johnson Jr. and Mara all coming from the same program. The USA Today draft history showed Golden State had not taken a first-round talent this high since Kuminga at No. 7 in 2021. The Warriors pivoted from developmental lottery teenagers to a ready college product, with a Michigan national champion at the top of their board.

What the Pick Says About the Curry Window

The Warriors have been transparent about their timeline, and Lendeborg’s college resume is built to contribute in year one, not in year three. When the SF Chronicle asked Dunleavy if the team hesitated at all over the age gap, the general manager smiled: “I’m not worried,” he said, “because he’s not 38.”

It’s a full-circle moment for me. I’ve been saying this every time I get asked this question, 2016, I’m a big Kyrie guy, so I used to hate Steph Curry. So now that I’m actually going to be on the same team with him, and actually learn so much from him, it means a lot.

That quote, from Lendeborg’s post-pick interview with ESPN, captures the surrealism of the moment. The 23-year-old Michigan forward, the Warriors’ newest lottery pick, said he used to root for Kyrie Irving over Stephen Curry in 2016. Curry, the two-time MVP per the SF Chronicle, is the player Lendeborg will now share a locker room with, and the two share an agency (Octagon), per the chicoer.

The supporting cast Curry will inherit includes a coach who has committed to the youth movement. Steve Kerr re-signed with the team in May per the chicoer, and told the press last month: “That guy has to play. He’s got to earn it, but we’re committed to absolutely, you know, the development of our young players and trying to do this thing in a way that allows for, you know, success down the road.” The Warriors’ 37-45 finish ended in a play-in loss to the Phoenix Suns in May, and Lendeborg’s adjustment to the NBA is the most consequential variable entering the new year. Training camp opens in late September per the chicoer, and the Warriors’ highest pick in five years walks into the gym on day one.

The Warriors will pick again at No. 54 on Wednesday, the 24th selection of the second round. The 2026-27 season opens in October, and Lendeborg will be the Warriors’ first lottery pick on the roster from day one since Kuminga in 2021. Curry’s next season starts in October.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Warriors’ selection of Yaxel Lendeborg raised immediate questions about the franchise’s timeline and the 23-year-old’s fit. Here are the answers to the most common reader questions about the No. 11 pick.

Why did the Warriors pick Yaxel Lendeborg at No. 11?

The Warriors needed a two-way wing who could play on opening night, and the 23-year-old Lendeborg fit the bill as a plug-and-play forward. Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy framed the pick as “profoundly logical” and said Lendeborg can guard 1 through 5, handle the ball on offense and play some small-ball center. The Warriors had spent the previous five years taking teenage lottery picks and wanted a player who could contribute immediately alongside Stephen Curry. Lendeborg also gave Golden State the most college experience of any of its lottery picks since the Bob Myers era.

What happened in the Warriors’ draft room on draft night?

An ESPN camera inside the Warriors’ draft room at Chase Center caught owner Joe Lacob throwing his arms up in apparent frustration, then general manager Mike Dunleavy turning to take a call, and the clip moved on social media within minutes. Dunleavy told reporters the late call was just standard draft-night business, and that the Warriors had fielded calls about a potential trade but had already settled on Lendeborg. The Warriors also got a late push from the New Orleans Pelicans, who dangled forward Trey Murphy III as enticement, per the SF Chronicle.

How old is Yaxel Lendeborg and why is his age significant?

Lendeborg is 23, and he will turn 24 in September per the SF Chronicle. He was the oldest first-round pick of the 2026 NBA Draft, at least three years older than any of the 10 players chosen before him per NBC Sports Bay Area’s draft coverage. The Warriors’ three previous lottery picks, James Wiseman in 2020, Jonathan Kuminga in 2021 and Moses Moody in 2021, all entered the league at 19 or younger and had yet to establish themselves as NBA starters. The age gap reflects a franchise decision to stop waiting on developmental curves and to add a player who can contribute in year one.

What comes next for the Warriors in the 2026-27 season?

The Warriors’ second-round pick is at No. 54 on Wednesday, the 24th selection of the round. The bigger immediate questions are Lendeborg’s adjustment to the NBA, the recovery timelines for Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody (both working back from knee injuries), and whether Steve Kerr’s commitment to the youth movement holds through a 37-45 regular season. The Warriors’ 2026-27 season tips off in October, and Lendeborg’s first NBA game is the franchise’s first lottery pick debut since 2021.

The Warriors made the selection official on their own announcement page, confirming the 11th overall pick on the franchise site, the first lottery selection Golden State has used since 2021.