A wild report dropped Thursday, spilling the tea that the Golden State Warriors, who grabbed NCAA national champion Yaxel Lendeborg with their No. 11 NBA Draft pick, actually had their eyes on someone else. This isn’t just some casual rumor; ESPN insider Anthony Slater confirmed what a lot of people are now talking about.
Yaxel Lendeborg: Plug-and-Play Power For The Warriors
The Warriors made a pretty big splash when they picked Lendeborg. This dude was one of the best players in the country last season, literally leading the Michigan Wolverines to the national championship. Golden State is clearly super high on him, drafting him because they felt he was “ready for the league.” Slater even wrote that Lendeborg is an “NBA-ready plug-and-play frontcourt rotation option for a team that desperately needs immediate production.” That’s high praise, and it shows why they went for him. For Lendeborg, it’s a bit shocking to be a “big part of the Warriors’ offense” right away. He even said he needs to “try to fill in Jimmy’s role” until Jimmy gets back from injury, acknowledging he’ll have to “score the ball a lot” more than he might prefer. But he sounds ready, feeling like he’ll “be able to step into that role for sure” and that “everything’s going to be trending up the right way.”
What The Warriors *Really* Wanted At No. 11
Here’s where it gets wild. While Lendeborg is making an impact, Slater’s report said Golden State’s final draft board had Lendeborg and Arizona guard Brayden Burries ranked “neck-and-neck” for that No. 11 spot, right after the top-tier prospects. Team sources actually indicated that “if Burries was there, they would’ve drafted the 20-year-old combo guard for his upside,” adding that he “had fans all over the organization.” The only reason they didn’t get him? The Milwaukee Bucks snagged Burries first. Think about it: Burries is a guard, Lendeborg is a forward. Some folks were even speculating Burries could’ve been a “succession plan for Steph Curry,” but that’s not how it played out.
What’s Next: Looking Ahead For Golden State
It’s definitely an interesting time for Slater to drop this bomb, but despite what could have been, Lendeborg is already making a “huge impact with Golden State.” It looks like things “worked out for the best,” even if he wasn’t their initial first choice. The Warriors are still “very high on” him, and he’s got a massive opportunity ahead to prove he was the right pick, regardless of who else they might have wanted.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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