Yaxel Lendeborg is learning from his superstar teammates.
Yaxel Lendeborg is without a doubt the future of the Golden State Warriors.
The 11th-overall pick maybe one of the older players from the 2026 NBA Draft, but his age, experience and championship pedigree as a member of the 2025-26 Michigan Wolverines should go a long way and helping him transition to the NBA and become an effective player as soon as he lands in the Bay.
That being said, Lendeborg has some of the best mentors in the sport that any young player could ask for in Steph Curry and Draymond Green, two four-time champions and future Hall of Famers who have over three decades of experience between them in the NBA navigating the highs and lows of their own respective careers.
Learning from Greats
Being able to lean on the experience that the two leaders of his team have between them is invaluable for Lendeborg and it’s something that he’s already been doing, taking the opportunity to soak up as much wisdom from them as he can before the season begins.
“Yeah, I've talked to Steph and Draymond a couple of times, just about how to navigate the rookie year," Lendeborg said (via Clutch Points). "What are the things that I should do to try to stay in the league as long as they did. And just getting the actual feedback, actually talking to them, getting to follow in their footsteps It's like, man, I'm really here with these guys and this is insane, you know?"
There will be a lot of expectations on Lendeborg, there always are when joining a franchise who has been as storied and successful in recent years as the Warriors have been as the dominant juggernaut of the 2010s and even winning a championship as recently is 2022, even if they've struggled as of late.
The Future of Golden State
Lendeborg is positioned to be one of the cornerstones of a new era of Warriors basketball and in an ideal world, him learning from Curry and Green is just as much a passing of the torch as it is simply teaching a new player how to navigate the league.
The dynamic duo of Golden State basketball are nearing the end of their respective careers and being able to tutor someone like Lendeborg to be able to take up that mantle is just as valuable for them as it is for the young power forward and should promise a bright future for the Warriors after a season of change.
