Veteran Golden State Warriors big man Al Horford was clearly thrilled with the franchise selecting Yaxel Lendeborg with the No. 11 pick in the NBA Draft.
Horford wrote, “Bienvenido Yaxel!!!!” on X, welcoming his fellow Dominican to the Warriors. Bienvenido, of course, means “welcome” in Spanish.
Lendeborg, who won an NCAA championship with the University of Michigan, joins Horford and Karl-Anthony Towns among prominent Dominican players in the NBA.
Warriors Draft Yaxel Lendeborg
Lendeborg was reportedly not Golden State’s top choice with the No. 11 pick. Per ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, the Warriors had their eyes set on Arizona Wildcats’ Brayden Burries, who went to the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 10. When Burries was off the board, they went ahead and selected Lenderborg.
“It was always going to come down to Burries and Lendeborg for the Warriors,” Siegel reported. “Once Burries was off the board … they land on Lendeborg after no real trades materialized for this pick.”
Earlier in the night, it was widely reported that the Warriors shopped their No. 11 pick, with hopes of landing Trey Murphy III or another difference-making veteran.
Warriors Make Controversial Pick
Although Lendeborg is a proven winner at the collegiate level, several analysts feel the 23-year-old — who spent six years in college — may have gone too high in the NBA Draft. Lendeborg spent three years at junior college (Arizona Western College), followed by two seasons at the NCAA Division I level (University of Alabama) and a final season at the University of Michigan. The unusual path allowed him to utilize his eligibility, culminating in him winning the 2026 NCAA title as a 23-year-old senior.
ESPN Draft analyst Jeremy Woo feels the Warriors selected Lendeborg as they prefer a win-now player who can help their veteran team immediately.
“He probably won’t win, but he’s going to play a lot and have to have a significant role for the Golden State Warriors to have a good season,” predicted Woo.
“They picked him at No. 11 with urgency in mind. If he can earn the trust of Steve Kerr — who was thought to have a degree of influence over this pick — he’ll have the minutes necessary to make a case on a team that needs him.”
Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy brushed off concerns about drafting a 23-year-old with a lotterypick.
“He’s, what, 23, almost 24? I’m not worried because he’s not 38,” he said of Lendeborg, via ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
Dunleavy said the Warriors were excited about Lendeborg’s overall skillset.
“The passing of the ball,” Dunleavy said of what excites him about Lendeborg. “The defensive stuff, whether it’s on the ball or off the ball. (He) connects some lineups with his size … can play inside. He can play outside. So it probably makes our job in free agency a little easier.”
“Ultimately we were all in agreement to land on taking Yaxel,” Dunleavy said.
Warriors Star Reacts to Team Drafting Yaxel Lendeborg No. 11 Overall