If you’re an NBA Draft aficionado, the most interesting thingYaxel Lendeborg said during Thursday’s Warriors pre-Draft media session wasn’t about being a “secondary ball-handler” to oneWardell Steph Curry II.
It wasn't about comparisons toDraymond Green. And it wasn’t even about why he believes his game fits Golden State.
It was what workouts he has left.
“I have the Clippers and the Hawks and I'm done,” said Lendeborg, apparently only “two minutes” (plus about ten minutes on the podium) after finishing his with the Warriors.
At first glance, that sounds like a routine Draft process answer, but the more I thought about it, the more interesting it became.
Lendeborg revealed his workout list:
Oklahoma City
Miami
Chicago
Milwaukee
Charlotte
Dallas
Golden State
LA Clippers (upcoming)
Atlanta (upcoming)
With workouts scheduled with teams owning the 8th through 15th picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, why is the No. 5 team, the Clippers, looking at Yaxel?
Indeed, with their trade forDarius Garland and four marquee points guards projected to be picked between 5th and 10th, eyeing a move down should come as no surprise for LAC.
Makes you wonder who is thinking about moving up. My guesses are either Milwaukee at 10 or Dallas at 9. NBA Draft season is all about connecting dots and this should be one of the most intriguing Drafts in recent memory.
Be sure to join us on both Draft Nights for livestream watch parties. The link will eventually post in ourNBA Draft playlist.
Actually, we’ve also gotEric Guilleminault of NBADraft.net scheduled for Monday, June 22nd, the night before the Draft — he’ll be too swamped on Draft Night itself to join us.
But yeah, I had other takeaways from Lendeborg’s Q&A, too. Remember, I said back on March 30th during the Final Four that he would be “perfect” for the Warriors:
Yaxel and I seem to be thinking on the same wavelength because when asked about Golden State, his reasoning wasn't complicated. He immediately referenced Curry’s gravity and off-ball movement.
“I think it fits perfectly,” said Lendeborg.
And by the way, that’s how the Michigan Wolverines played this season, asSteve Kornacki wrote on his Substack, The Wolverine Report:
“I think he’s done an unbelievable job of giving what the game has given him and playing smart, practical basketball all year,” said**(Dusty) May**. “That’s not easy to do to play two different styles and especially learning a new system. We play in flow 90 percent of the game. We call [plays] out of timeouts. Other than that, our guys are playing off of each other. For him to go from a set offense, 1-3-1 defensive team to a switching man and a free-flowing offense, he’s had to learn a lot, and he’s had to be two different people for us.”
Incidentally, I found this tidbit while looking up another tidbit, see transcript below: Yaxel got the nickname “Dominican LeBron” from his teammateLJ Cason.
I also liked how Lendeborg referenced “getting five assists” in the Warriors’ system — much more preferred than, say, 30 points?
“Whenever Steph is getting taken out the game I'll be there to assist,” added Lendeborg.
That answer felt important. The Warriors have spent years searching for players who can connect possessions, move the ball, defend multiple positions and keep the offense flowing when Curry sits. Whether he becomes that player remains to be seen, but he clearly understands the role.
Finally, my favorite answer of the entire session wasn't about basketball. When asked what he wanted teams to learn about him during interviews, he said, “I'm a very real, honest guy.”
That tracks. This is the same player who openly discussed crying in the medical tent after suffering his Final Four knee injury [again, see transcript below].
The same player who admitted yesterday that he was probably only operating at “40 or 50 percent” during Michigan's championship run, who admitted to a national audience at halftime in a Final Four game that he could not contribute to his fullest.
The honesty feels genuine and, frankly, it reminds me a little bit of how Draymond has always bonded with people inside the Warriors organization — well, other than that one time with the punch, of course, although the problem with that was mainly because it became public (fights happen all the time at practice, if you’ve ever been on a basketball team).
BONUS TIDBIT: I have more intel on Lendeborg coming up soon. It is also comforting to know that Warriors bear writerDanny Emerman of the SF Standard agrees that Yaxelis the guy.
We will be at the edge of our seats on Draft Night, whether or not Lendeborg is taken before the 11th pick.
This is precisely the reason why the Warriors should not trade the pick out. As I have said on the YouTube channel, if there’s a trade involving a draft pick to be made, it should be for an additional first-round pick:
There are other names DubNation seems to like that make sense, who seem to be falling in recent mocks:Karim Lopez,Cameron Carr,Hannes Steinbach,Aday Mara,Labaron Philon and more. It is a deep Draft and the Warriors roster needs to get younger.
So, go get a second first-rounder!
The idea of trading the 11th pick for two lower first-rounders would likely take Yaxel out of the equation, plus there are only two possibilities: OKC at 12 and 17, and Charlotte at 14 and 18.
I do not see a good reason for OKC to simply move up one spot to 11 at the cost of the 17th pick.
For Charlotte, they already have high picks on their roster pecking order likeLaMelo Ball,Brandon Miller andKon Knueppel. They have a couple open salary slots, so there is no urgency to reduce their picks to move up just three spots on the Draft board. Building a team with two more solid rookie scale contracts in a deep Draft makes more sense for the Hornets.
I don’t see a realistic “trade down” scenario for the Warriors.
The full transcript from Lendeborg's pre-Draft workout media session is available below for paid subscribers. It will be opened up to all subscribers next week.
00:00 Hey, over here. Joseph Dycus, Mercury News. Just wondering, what are you hoping to show the Warriors’ coaching staff today?
00:07 Moreso like my versatility. I can bring a lot of different things to the game and just being able to play multiple positions for these guys and do whatever I’m needed to do to win, so.
00:17 How do you see your skill? How would you see your skill set possibly fitting into this team as a passer?
00:23 I think it fits perfectly. They do a lot of them, like off ball moving sets, a lot of actions, get Steph open and playing off his gravity will make it a lot easier for me to make reads and for the other guys to get open as well, so I think it’ll be perfect.
00:35 What has this pre-draft process been like for you in terms of where you’ve gone, some of the workouts you’ve done so far?
00:42 Man, it’s been very, very tough. Not many days for breaks or rests. I don’t think I’ve gotten a day off yet, but it’s very fun. You get to learn a lot of new things, meet a lot of new people and just learn pretty much the way you’re gonna be living next year, so it’s all a learning point for me and a lot of good points, bad points, still, but a lot of learning.
01:02 And just to be clear, did you already go through your workout here today, or is that to come?
01:05 Yeah, I just finished like two minutes ago.
01:07 How did it go and what are some of the things they had you do?
01:10 It was fun. It was really, really, competitive. The guys there really, really played hard. It was a lot of like just playing off of actions, moving, a lot of 3-on-3, 1-on-1, stuff like that, so I mean, it was very competitive, very fun.
01:23 A lot of people call you a plug-and-play type of prospect. Where do you think you can make the biggest impact from Day One as a rookie?
01:29 Oh, I would say, like, five assists a game, maybe, to start off. Just a lot of defense, fast break kind of bucket opportunities for me and depending on if I’m here or anywhere else, my role would be a lot different. But if I was here, I would be more like a secondary ball-handler, whenever Steph is getting taken out the game I’ll be there to assist, maybe provide a little bit more offense or instant offense in a way.
01:51 You have kind of a unique journey to this point, obviously. How do you think that it’s helped prepare you to this moment?
01:57 Well, just my toughness, mental toughness, as well. It’s been a very long, long journey for me as far as just being willing and able to play as hard as I do now and thinking that I belong on the court with some of these guys, so I feel like every game I get, I have to showcase my skill set, show that I do belong and continue to just prove that I’m better than what I was before.
02:20 You have a winning pedigree after winning that championship with Michigan. How do you feel like that’s also gonna help you in your career moving, especially in your rookie year?
02:27 A lot of people like winners, so me being in the position that I was this past year, it just showcased that, me, I’m willing to put aside any stat or anything about myself to win. Same thing so, I mean, being in a winning culture, winning program shows you a lot of different things that you have to do, not just as far as sacrifices, but just as far as, like, everyday living, to bring a spark and bring kinda good energy to the squad.
02:51 Going off that, obviously, you’re an older prospect. I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about that narrative, but being a guy who won a lot in college and looking at guys like Brunson and Hart who are now on the cusp of a title and won as well in college, does that help you at all, knowing that it’s possible and there’s a path to clearly being an older prospect and having that success in the league?
03:11 Yeah, absolutely. If you can play, you can play. A lot of these younger prospects just been in the spotlight a little bit longer than I was, been playing since they were younger. So, I mean, everybody’s path is different and every time I get on the court, I’m gonna showcase that, you know? So whether it’s a guy that’s 30 or a guy that’s 18, I’m gonna go out there and show who’s better.
03:29 Just going back to the pre-draft process here, I mean, obviously fans and media love all the mock drafts and things. Is that something that ever comes into your radar, these mock drafts when you see that a team like Golden State might be interested or do you try and put all that aside?
03:43 Yeah, I kinda get tagged in those mock drafts every single day, so I can’t stay away from it no matter what, you know? And in a way, it kinda makes me envision myself playing on, like, a team like this, the Thunder, the Heat, Charlotte, all those teams that I’m getting a mock to go to. So, I mean, it kinda gives me something to get, like, attached to. So I can’t get too attached, though, because maybe on Draft night I won’t get picked by either of them. I’m gonna be upset, you know? But, either way, it is nice to see that and it’s a blessing to be a part of it, so.
04:12 What is the biggest thing you wanted to get across in the interview itself?
04:17 Biggest thing, I would probably just say, like, just my personality, how I am. I’m a very real, honest guy and a guy who likes goofing off a lot, so just showing my authentic self is something I always wanna showcase.
04:28 A lot of guys get, even after they made the team, they sit there and they start talking about what it would be like to play with Steph and to be around him. For you, having watched him growing up, what would that be like if everything falls and you get drafted here?
04:44 Man, it’ll be amazing. He provides so much gravity on the court that it really makes it super-easy for other guys to score, other guys to just showcase any ability that they have, so I’ve been having so many arguments going against Steph when I was younger with my best friend. And now, like, if I would be able to play with him, it’ll be kind of funny being on the other end, but I’ll be very excited to get the opportunity. He’s a great player. Great, great human being, as well. I got to meet him about, like, twice, so it’s really nice and I feel like I would learn a lot playing with him, as well.
05:12 When did you meet Steph those couple times?
05:14 Well, today, and then I met him when they played against the Clippers in the Play-in game, so those two times it was quick, brief conversations, but you can just tell he’s a genuine human being and actually cares for, like, the younger guys in a way.
05:26 And we talked a little bit about how you were a little bit later to basketball. Given that, like, how much more upside do you think you have to grow into even though you’re an older prospect?
05:36 Yeah, I think I have just as much as anybody else in this Draft. I really don’t like the word “upside” in a way because it’s, like, it’s basically just like, “Oh, this guy can be better” or not, or, “Will he be better?” It’s like if you’re better now, you can continue to try to get better every single day, but as far as upside, if we wanna use that word, I think I have the same amount as everybody, yeah.
05:57 What is something you would like to improve upon, once you hit the NBA? What’s something you would like to get better at?
06:02 I would like my defensive versatility, for sure, I gotta get a lot more fluid in my, like, my change of pace and just, like, my stance gotta be a lot more stronger, base wider, stuff like that, you know? So I mean, that’s my main key. And then second would be just a consistent three-point shot. I came a long way as far as the last three years of shooting the ball, so hopefully I can keep improving.
06:21 Whose game do you maybe compare yourself to or watch, as you go through this process?
06:25 I have three to four people. One is Paolo (Banchero). I’ve always tried to mimic his game. Naz Reid, as well, in a way. I try to mimic some of LeBron’s drives, how physical he is and how he uses his body, when to use it, stuff like that. And somebody I still watch to this day, like, just highlights, is Magic Johnson, but yeah, those guys are — I learn every, like, a lot of different things, like, little pieces from each player.
06:47 Do you like the Dominican LeBron nickname?
06:49 I do. Yeah, I really do. I really do. Yeah. It was really fun being able to try to keep that, like, legacy in a way, but yeah, it was very fun to have that, yeah.
06:58 And just your versatility has stood out, obviously, throughout your college career. What position do you maybe feel the most comfortable at?
07:05 I would say small forward. Obviously, I have to get my three-point shot way more consistent because the small forwards in this league are very lethal, so once I get that down, I think I’ll be perfectly fit in small forward.
07:16 To Dalton (Johnson)’s point, you’ve been actually comped to Draymond Green in a lot of ways. Do you see similarities in your games with him and how would you kinda see you fitting next to him, if you were to come to the Warriors?
07:26 Yeah, I do see some similarities. He’s a win guy, “win-all” guy, you can say, and he’s a connector for the squad. He makes the right read a majority of the time. He plays super-hard on defense, willing to take on the best player on the other squad, so I definitely feel like I have a lot of similarities just as far as that. And, like, if I play alongside him, again, just a lot of learning. He’s won many rings. He’s been in many, many tough situations where he has to step up his game and it’ll be a very, very, like, good vet to have by your side.
07:55 Can a Michigan and a Michigan State guy co-exist?
07:58 I don’t think so. I don’t know if he was too fond of me this year because we beat Michigan State twice, but it would be nice to see if we could.
08:05 Do we have any questions on Zoom?
08:20 Yes, Yaxel. I was curious about the number of workouts as far as — I feel like it’s been every day for you. Who have you worked out with so far besides, obviously, Golden State.
08:21 I worked out for Oklahoma, Miami, Chicago, Milwaukee, Charlotte, Dallas, and then the Warriors.
08:26 And who do you have left? You got any more left?
08:30 I have the Clippers and the Hawks and I’m done.
08:45 Quick follow. What was interesting about these workouts was you were running into these faces that you’ve seen before, like, maybe you played against in college. Obviously, today you saw some familiar faces. What was that like, seeing guys that you competed against and now you’re in the workout with them , in essence competing to get the attention of teams?
08:53 Yeah, it’s fun. It’s fun being able to compete with such high-level guys. I try not to, like, keep the hatred that I had for those guys that I played against during the season, but it’s really nice being able to switch it and learn about those other guys and just go out there and compete, so it’s very, very nice.
09:09 Thank you, sir.
09:10 Yes, sir.
09:18 Last time we saw you play in the Final Four, championship, you were dealing with a knee issues, with —
09:22 One second, Jake.
09:23 How tough was that and how long did it take you to get fully healthy?
09:23 Man, it was very, very tough, mentally, when it happened. I went into the tent and I was crying for a good five to ten minutes just trying to say to myself that it’s not over. It felt like it was, so I was very, very emotional about it. But the next day I felt very, very bad, man. When I played I felt like 40, 50% maybe at most, but it was very, very tough mentally.
09:42 And then the last one from Jake Singer.
09:46 Hey, Yaxel.
09:47 Hello.
09:47 Coming off the national championship, it was a very quick turnaround to go right into the NBA Draft process. Given how long you guys have played for, have you been able to enjoy the championship with your teammates and really soak that in yet, or is that gonna happen after the NBA Draft when you finally have a few months to decompress?
10:03 Man, when we won the championship, it didn’t feel real for a good, like, month maybe. So our celebration was kind of the parade and the ceremony we had with some of the fans. So I mean, I would count that celebrating, in a way. We didn’t really milk it like I’ve seen many people do it, but, it was very fun. Very, very fun. We had a lot of good conversations about the season memories, spoke a lot about what we saw, what we did, but I think next year we’re gonna have the ring ceremony, the banner ceremony. And I think that’s when we’ll, like, truly get to celebrate it.
10:35 All right. Thank you.
10:36 Yeah. Thank you, guys. Yes, sir.
🫶💙💛