Sept. 29, 2026, 4:02 p.m. PT
Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg believes he has the potential to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award.Lendeborg was selected by Golden State with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.He helped lead the Warriors to a summer league championship after a successful final season at Michigan.Lendeborg will compete for the award against top prospects like AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer.
Since joining the Golden State Warriors after being selected with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Yaxel Lendeborg has had his sights set on greatness at the NBA level. He performed exceptionally well during the summer league, leading Golden State to a summer league championship along with second-year forward Will Richard and recent two-way contract signee Graham Ike.
During NBA media day, Lendeborg spoke about his potential to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award, despite having 10 other prospects drafted in front of him. “I feel like I could win Rookie of the Year. But that’s not my main focus.”
Having averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks during his final season at Michigan, Lendeborg is clearly one of the most polished prospects from the 2026 class on the eve of his 24th birthday. If he can perform well in his role and help propel the Warriors to a playoff appearance, he could rival some of the league’s top prospects, like top-four picks AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson.
For more NBA content, check out the BasketBaltes podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/@BasketBaltes/videos
Love crosswords? Explore the Crossword page and play the new MidGrid Crossword.