The Golden State Warriors won’t look much different from what fans saw last season, but they did make one major addition who is expected to contribute right away.

With the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, the Warriors selected Yaxel Lendeborg out of Michigan, an all-around forward who will be 24 years old by the time the season starts, meaning he’s less of a rookie with room to grow and more of a player who will immediately fill a role.

Lendeborg helped lead Michigan to a National Championship in 2026, averaging 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists during his senior year, shooting 51% from the field and 37% from three.

He’s drawn some comparisons to Draymond Green for how he plays the game, and Draymond is a fan of his game.

Speaking on his Draymond Green Show podcast, the future Hall of Famer had high praise for his new teammate.

Speaking about the Warriors mini-camp in San Diego, Draymond said, “By the way, Yaxel’s talked a lot of sh*t. You all know how I felt about Yaxel talking shit… That kid can play. He is… really good. Now, I don’t want to put some expectations on him because the NBA game is different, man. You get in that season with them lights on and, you know, guys, it moves fast. Like, you’re trying to….one guy this Kawhi Leonard tonight, it’s Kevin Durant the next. Like, it’s hard, you know? So, I’m not, I don’t want to put any expectations on him that is unnecessary. But he can play. He understands the game. He’s smart. And this was like, this was really my first time getting eyes on him in person. Consistently shoot the p*ss out of the basketball. I was very, very, very impressed. I’m excited to see where he can take it.”

The first taste of the NBA that Yaxel got was in Summer League, where he averaged 18 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, leading the Warriors to a Summer League Championship.

Summer League is filled with rookies and young players and is more disorganized than NBA games, but it was still a positive sign for the Warriors.

Yaxel has set expectations for himself, saying he’s looking to average 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 or 4 assists this season, calling it the bare minimum. 

Those might be lofty goals for a rookie, but they aren’t unattainable given what the Warriors need, especially in the rebounding and passing department.

Yaxel will get plenty of opportunities to prove himself this season, and he gets to learn from Draymond, who can be an excellent mentor for him.