Yaxel Lendeborg Posts Expectedly Good Summer League Debut

NBA Summer League tipped off on Friday with two bouts in the California Classic. One of those was Lakers-Warriors, which saw a few notable rookie performances.

Warriors’ forward Yaxel Lendeborg, recently taken with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, was far-and-away the top standout on the day, though many expected him to be.

At 23-years-old, Lendeborg became one of the oldest lottery picks in some time weeks ago, just a few months shy of 24. He’s seen a non-traditional route through college basketball, starting out with multiple seasons at junior college before playing two at UAB and finally capping his career off at Michigan.

That time spent elevating his game across multiple collegiate levels — including winning the title with the Wolverines in his last — prepared him for a short Summer League stint ahead of his rookie season.

Against the Lakers on Friday, Lendeborg scored a game-high 19 points on perfect 6-for-6 shooting, tacking on six assists, five rebounds and one steal and block apiece. He shot 4-for-4 from beyond the arc, with the only blemish on his day being four turnovers.

Lendeborg’s 3-point shooting was especially notably, seeing as that was his main area of improvement coming back for his senior season. In the Warriors’ 3-point heavy system, he’ll certainly be relied on to hit outside shots.

Even more, Lendeborg’s efforts helped to beat an inter-state rival in the Lakers, who saw a great outing from their own rookie in Cameron Carr. One of the top sliders at the ’26 draft, Carr fits LA’s Luka Doncic-led system like a glove, but was able to get his in his own debut with 19 points on 5-for-11 shooting from beyond the arc.

Lendeborg will be relied on more than most rookies to produce in Year 1. Though if Summer League is any indication — and it often isn’t — he’s ready to hit the ground running with Golden State. With a core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis and more, he should be able to carve his way to time sooner rather than later.

While the Summer League isn't totally indicative of future NBA success, Lendeborg was playing against fellow professionals for the first time in his career.

Lendeborg will look to continue his hot start into the Warriors' next game as they take on Brayden Burries, Nate Ament and the rest of the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, July 4 at 2 p.m. CT.

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