The story of the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Yaxel Lendeborg, almost did not happen. Lendeborg struggled with eligibility throughout high school due to poor grades, but his mother finally reached him before his senior year. After beginning his college career at Arizona Western Junior College, Lendeborg eventually won on the biggest stage. That continued throughout the 2026 NBA Summer League, as the rookie added another accomplishment to his resume.
After three years at Arizona Western and two years at UAB, Lendeborg finished his college career at the University of Michigan. Lendeborg, along with fellow lottery picks Morez Johnson and Aday Mara, led the Michigan Wolverines to their best season in school history. Michigan finished with a school-best 37 wins in 2025-26, including a National Championship victory over UConn.
Lendeborg displayed his leadership and toughness in that championship game, playing through a sprained MCL and ankle injury he suffered in the previous game. Even while limited, he still managed to drop 13 points, a block, and hit all five free throws.
After being unsure if he would even play collegiate basketball, Lendeborg went on to be an All-American, Big Ten Player of the Year, and National Champion.
Lendeborg played in all six summer league games for the Golden State Warriors, averaging 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and four assists. As was the case in college, the rookie combo forward ended the summer league with a championship, earning the game’s MVP in the process. Lendeborg dropped 21 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and two steals in the summer league finale against the Memphis Grizzlies, outdueling third overall pick Cameron Boozer.
This served as a measure of revenge, as one of Michigan’s three losses in 2025-26 came at the hands of Boozer’s Duke Blue Devils. Lendeborg has not forgotten about this and essentially stated that following the summer league final.
I think about revenge every time I play him. Every game we play, them refs be saving him. It is a competitive nature with everybody that gets drafted ahead of me.
This storyline will clearly be something to watch during the 2026-27 NBA season and perhaps beyond. The Warriors’ rookie forward is ready to put Boozer, the other players drafted ahead of him, and the league on notice. With so much speculation surrounding the Warriors, Lendeborg is bound to be a big part of their hopeful rise in the Western Conference.
It has been quite the 2026 for Lendeborg so far, with the National Championship at Michigan in March, and now an NBA Summer League Championship in July. Though he was the MVP of that summer league final, to steal a line from Kevin Durant, Lendeborg’s mother, Yissel Raposo, is the real MVP. Lendeborg worked in a warehouse after high school, and Raposo forced her son to attend junior college. Despite the mental drain and initial resistance, he eventually locked in, and the rest was history.
Now, the attention shifts to the NBA preseason. The Warriors begin the preseason on October sixth with a matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Some experts have questioned how much better Lendeborg can become, feeling that the almost 24-year-old is already at his peak. That will surely serve as added motivation as he looks to make an immediate impact with the Warriors.
With veterans like Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, and Kristaps Porzingis, Golden State needed a plug-and-play rookie as they try to make another run with this core. Lendeborg seems up to the task and is probably chomping at the bit to get the NBA regular season underway.
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