Yaxel Lendeborg may not have to wait long for a significant role with the Golden State Warriors. According to ESPN’s NBA Today, the Warriors rookie revealed that head coach Steve Kerr has already told him he could be in the starting lineup during his first NBA season.
Anthony Slater reported that Lendeborg discussed his early conversations with Kerr and came away believing he has a legitimate opportunity to open the 2026-27 campaign as a starter.
“I asked him about his early conversations with Steve Kerr, and he mentioned, ‘Hey, you know, Steve has a history of not playing rookies,’ but basically said, you know, he’s different, and Steve Kerr’s already told him he might start,” Slater said on NBA Today.
The comments stand out given Kerr’s long-established preference for relying on veterans. While young players such as Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski gradually earned larger roles over time, few rookie first-round picks have entered training camp with the possibility of starting immediately under Kerr.
Golden State selected Lendeborg with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after he helped Michigan capture the NCAA championship. The 6-foot-9 forward arrived with one of the most polished résumés in the class after spending three seasons at UAB before transferring to Michigan for his senior year.
Across 112 collegiate games, Lendeborg averaged 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 51.7% from the field, 36.4% from three-point range and 79.2% from the free-throw line. His most productive campaign came at UAB in 2024-25, when he posted 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game before embracing a different offensive role at Michigan, where he improved his three-point accuracy to a career-best 37.2%.
Lendeborg has also carried that momentum into Summer League. Through three appearances, he averaged 16.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 27.1 minutes per game while shooting 48.7% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc, showcasing the versatile skill set that made him a lottery selection.
Despite the possibility of opening games, Lendeborg said personal accolades are not driving his rookie season.
“I don’t really have any like MVP kind of things. I just want to be a role model to the kids, I wanna be somebody that the kids look up to and wanna be like…try to be as simple as possible,” he said.
The opportunity comes at an important time for Golden State. The Warriors finished 37-45 last season, ending 10th in the Western Conference before missing a deep playoff run. With Stephen Curry averaging 26.6 points in 43 games during the 2025-26 season and the franchise looking to maximize its remaining championship window, immediate production from younger players has become increasingly valuable.
Lendeborg joins a veteran-heavy roster featuring Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford. His combination of size, rebounding, passing and defensive versatility could allow him to complement those established stars without needing a high-volume offensive role.
