Yaxel Lendeborg gave the Golden State Warriors a brief scare on Tuesday night when he twisted his left ankle in the preseason win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The rookie called it a painful twist afterward, per Anthony Slater of ESPN, but he does not expect it to linger.
Warriors Rookie Twists His Ankle
The injury came in the third quarter at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Lendeborg drove to the basket, came down awkwardly and limped in visible pain. He stayed in long enough to shoot two free throws, and then the Warriors fouled to get him out of the game.
From there, he headed to the locker room. Reporters noted that he was not limping on the way, so the scare looked bigger than it turned out to be.
After the game, Lendeborg was icing the ankle and wanted to see how it felt on Wednesday. Still, he did not think the injury would linger, per Slater.
Lendeborg Returns To The Floor
Lendeborg did not stay out long. He checked back in with 1:38 left in the third quarter and played the rest of the period. After some band work on the sideline, he sat out the fourth.
Even so, his night was strong on both sides of the scare. He finished with 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting, adding five rebounds, four assists and two steals in 26 minutes. The Warriors beat the Lakers, 101-89.
Golden State also played short-handed. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody were out, with both expected to miss time until the second half of the season. Draymond Green and Al Horford also rested. That forced Lendeborg into a small-ball center role at times.
Rookie Has Impressed This Preseason
The Warriors took Lendeborg with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 draft. The 23-year-old was a two-time AAC Defensive Player of the Year at UAB. He then transferred to Michigan. There, he won Big Ten Player of the Year, earned consensus first-team All-American honors and helped the Wolverines win the national title.
He has quickly made an impact. In his home debut against the Lakers on Oct. 6, he scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds. He shot 7-for-11 in a 124-98 win at Chase Center.
For Golden State, the ankle was the one worrisome moment in an otherwise good night. The Warriors finish the preseason at home against the Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 16. They open the regular season against the Lakers on Oct. 21.
Warriors Get Yaxel Lendeborg Update After Injury Scare vs. Lakers