Warriors Takeaways from Day 1 of 2026 Draft: Did Dubs Reach on Lendeborg?

Draymond Green's future is also explored in the draft takeaways

Adam Silver and Yaxel Lendeborg | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Golden State Warriors were rumored to be attempting to trade down to get more 2026 draft capital, but they ended up staying put and taking Yaxel Lendeborg with the 11th pick.

Lendeborg fills a big immediate need as a big wing. But was it a reach to take a 23-year-old with the 11th pick?

I answer that question and give out two other Warriors takeaways from Day 1 of the draft.

Taking Lendeborg Was Not a Reach

I gave the Lendeborg pick an A, as I explained here.

There's no denying that Lendeborg was a great college player. He had a 16.7 Box Plus/Minus in his one season at Michigan. Here is a list of every player since the 2019-20 season to have a BPM of 15.0 or higher:

Player	Year	BPM
Cameron Boozer	2025-26	18.7
Yaxel Lendeborg	2025-26	16.7
Cooper Flagg	2024-25	16.3
Zach Edey	2023-24	16.8
Donovan Clingan	2023-24	15.0
Trayce Jackson-Davis	2022-23	16.0
Zach Edey	2022-23	15.4
Keegan Murray	2021-22	15.7
Chet Holmgren	2021-22	15.0

This is great company for players whose college success translated to the NBA, except for former Warriors big man Trayce Jackson-Davis.

But it's easy to see that Lendeborg is not the next Jackson-Davis.

TJD had no perimeter scoring skills, so he was forced into being an undersized center.

Lendeborg can shoot the three and attack closeouts to score or make good passing reads. He also has enough lateral quickness to switch onto guards, making him a tantalizing defensive chess piece.

The 6'9" forward will immediately enter the Warriors' rotation and should have a long career as a do-it-all big wing.

Warriors Gearing Up for End of Draymond Green's Tenure

When this offseason started, I was among many who assumed the Warriors would beg Draymond Green to decline his player option to sign a multiyear deal that would lower his 2026-27 salary.

But now, it's looking more and more like the Warriors don't want him past this season and may not even try to negotiate with him to decline the option.

To be sure, Green will be a Warrior this season. He's not turning down a $27.7 million contract.

He has no trade value, so I doubt he'll be dealt.

But the Warriors just drafted his long-term successor in Lendeborg. They have almost no salary committed to the 2027-28 season, and they don't appear to have a multiyear contention plan that makes Green essential to keep.

Expect him to be gone after the 2026-27 season.

Warriors' Pursuit of High-Floor Wings in Draft Is Telling

The two players most ready to immediately contribute in the Warriors' draft range were Brayden Burries and Yaxel Lendeborg.

There were multiple reports that the Warriors wanted Burries, who got taken one spot before they were on the clock.

The fact that they wanted both says a lot.

First, it showed that the Warriors still value immediate contention over taking a long-term project. The Dubs could have easily taken Nate Ament and sold it as the potential star of the team in a few years, but it's obvious he won't help much this season, and that mattered to Mike Dunleavy Jr.

And it makes sense considering the Warriors could have veterans Stephen Curry, Green, Jimmy Butler, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis next season. This team is still in win-now mode and needed an immediate contributor.

Second, it showed that the Warriors probably realized all of the free-agent wings are out of their price range. Now with Lendeborg, they can focus their MLE efforts on a backup point guard such as Anfernee Simons or Collin Sexton.