The Golden State Warriors won’t welcome many new faces from last season, but they do have an exciting addition in rookie Yaxel Lendeborg.

Yaxel was taken with the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, coming out of Michigan, where he won a National Championship in his Senior season.

He averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists during his senior year, shooting 51% from the field and 37% from three. He was the Big Ten Player of the Year, an All-Region player, and a consensus All-American.

He had an outstanding Summer League, averaging 18 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, leading the Warriors to a Summer League Championship.

Now, Yaxel is ready for his first taste of the NBA.

Speaking during training camp, Yaxel said that a successful rookie season for him would be playing meaningful minutes and being on the court when the game is on the line.

Yaxel’s role is unclear, but he could be in the starting lineup, especially with Kristaps Porzingis dealing with health issues that are sidelining him for the time being.

Yaxel previously said that he was looking to average 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 or 4 assists this season, calling it the bare minimum. If his offensive game translates to the NBA the way many expect it to, those numbers should be reachable for the rookie.

The Warriors are counting on Yaxel to make an immediate impact, a big reason why they took him despite his age. He’s 24 years old, older than Brandin Podziemski, who has been in the league for three seasons now.

Yaxel is a ready-to-contribute player who should seamlessly fit in with how the Warriors play, given his ability to screen, cut, pass, and shoot, along with his defensive versatility.

The Warriors lost a lot of games in the clutch last season, posting a 17-22 record despite having a positive net rating in clutch situations. A player like Yaxel, who makes hustle plays and winning plays, is the kind of player who can change the outcome of a game in key situations with a timely play on either end of the court.

As long as he earns the trust of the coaching staff when he is on the floor, it’s hard to not see him on the court in key situations, doing his best to influence the game and making things easier for Steph Curry and the rest of his teammates.