The Golden State Warriors have gotten off to a so-so start to the 2026-27 season at 2-3, but a major bright spot for them has been the stellar play of rookie big man Yaxel Lendeborg. The 24-year-old has been one of the best rookies in the league in the early-goings of the regular season, and teammate Draymond Green has already declared him the next face of the franchise.
Yaxel Lendeborg’s early rookie season for the Warriors has been so impressive, that some, such as ClutchPoints’ NBA insider Brett Siegel, believes he would go as high as No. 2 in a potential redraft.
“You also want guys who can play, and Yaxel Lendeborg can play. He can win you games and he can be a No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 supplementary guy on your team. He can fill any role that you need, that’s what he’s done with the Warriors,” Siegel said. “Yaxel Lendeborg would be a top-five pick if a redraft was today … he should be the favorite to win Rookie of the Year right now.”
Article Continues BelowThe No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Lendeborg is currently top-five among all rookies in four major statistical categories of points, rebounds, assists and steals, and he’s leading all rookies in points per game.
He’s immediate stepped into the Warriors starting lineup, at a little over 33 minutes per game. He has been averaging 22.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 steals with splits of 47.5 percent shooting from the field, 35.5 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 74.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line.