Yaxel Lendeborg could be steal of NBA draft if he falls to Warriors at No. 11

The Warriors possess the No. 11 pick in this month’s NBA draft.

Who they pick with their highest selection since 2021 could hold the cards to not only the final years of Steph Curry’s career, but the future direction of the franchise.

This week, we are profiling five possible prospects GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. could target.

Starting with Part 1:

Yaxel Lendeborg

Age: 24

Position: Forward

Height/weight: 6-9 / 240

School: Michigan

Why he’s a fit

The Warriors are looking for a player who can impact winning from the get-go, and who better than a consensus All-American from the national champs?

Lendeborg is the prototypical Steve Kerr draft prospect: A four-year college player, a hard-nosed defender and an offensive connector.

He averaged 14.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks after transferring to Michigan, where he became the first Wolverine since Juwan Howard to score 20 points in three straight NCAA tournament games while leading a national title run.

Before arriving at Michigan, Lendeborg was a two-time American Conference defensive player of the year and all-conference honoree at UAB. He tested the draft waters last year but opted for the transfer portal instead, telling the Associated Press that he turned down a $7-9 million offer from Kentucky for a reported $5 million NIL deal at Michigan.

The experience provided Lendeborg more than a big stage and a big payday.

“This year at Michigan was pretty much trial and error with everything I did — press conferences, post games,” he told Mavs.com at the draft combine last month. “I’ve learned what to say, what I can’t say, actions that I can’t do.”

Simply put: Lendeborg is as polished of a final product the Warriors will find at No. 11.

Why he’ll last until No. 11

Lendeborg took a circuitous path to becoming the oldest prospect likely to be taken in the lottery. He didn’t start playing organized basketball until he was 15 years old.

He was cut from his high school team because of poor academics and started his college career at Arizona Western — a JuCo — before beginning his climb up the ranks at UAB.

His age means NBA teams may project a lower ceiling, but Lendeborg could also be seen as a late bloomer whose relative inexperience gives him more room to grow.

NBA comp: OG Anunoby

Lendeborg is slightly undersized for an NBA big man but makes up for it with the largest wingspan-to-height ratio in the draft class — measuring nearly 7-foot-4.

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters