What Drafting Yaxel Lendeborg Means for Warriors' Free-Agency Plan

The Golden State Warriors came into this offseason with a massive need for more wing depth, and they addressed it in the NBA draft.

They took 6'9" wing Yaxel Lendeborg with the 11th pick, and they ended up adding to their wing depth again by taking 6'7" wing Lajae Jones with the 54th pick.

Jones could be headed for a two-way contract, so he shouldn't have much bearing on the Warriors' free-agency plans.

But Lendeborg clarifies what Golden State will do in free agency.

Warriors' LeBron Push Remains the Same, as Unlikely as Getting Him Is

I continue to think LeBron James will return to the Lakers, though the Shams Charania report that he hasn't communicated with them recently opens the door a bit.

One could argue that having James, Lendeborg, Draymond Green and Gui Santos is overkill on players who are best suited to play the 4.

But that's a minor issue you live with if you can get James to sign for the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.

From here on, I'll assume the Warriors don't get James.

Warriors' Porzingis Push Becomes Slightly More Dire

Had the Warriors taken a center with their first-round pick, they could have felt that Kristaps Porzingis was more of a luxury than a necessity.

Now that they have Lendeborg, they need Porzingis back with the newly re-signed Al Horford to solidy their center rotation.

In truth, they were probably going to pursue Porzingis no matter what they did in the draft, but now it's a no-brainer.

ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel wrote Thursday that the Warriors "are actively in negotiations" with the 7'2" Latvian. It seems like Porzingis' return is a matter of when, not if.

Negotiations with Draymond Could Change

If the Warriors want to puruse James, they will need Green to decline his player option and sign a multiyear deal with a lower starting salary.

But if the James option isn't feeling like by Green's option decision date on June 29, he will have no obvious reason to decline the $27.7 million option.

Perhaps the Warriors want him to take the option anyway. Lendeborg is his long-term replacement, so the Dubs might actually be ready to move on from Green after the 2026-27 season.

Had the Warriors not drafted Lendeborg, maybe they would have tried harder to negotiate a multiyear deal with Green.

Warriors Will Make MLE Offers on Dynamic Guards

Had the Warriors gone with a center or a guard with the 11th pick, they would have had to make getting a quality wing with their mid-level exception their top priority.

Considering how poor the free-agent wing options are, that would have been a futile task.

Now with Lendeborg, the Warriors' top priority is a ball-handling guard, and getting one should prove easier than getting a quality wing.

Siegel reported in May that the Warriors will be targeting Anfernee Simons and Collin Sexton with the MLE.

Of the two Simons, is the more dynamic scorer, but Sexton has a slightly better career three-point percentage and offers more resistance defensively.

Either would be a great get.

After those two, trying to re-sign De'Anthony Melton might be the Warriors' best bet. He isn't dynamic enough offensively to be prioritized over Simons or Sexton, but his on-ball defense is valuable enough that he's worth a raise from his $3.1 million 2025-26 salary.

Warriors Will Go Bargain Shopping for Another Center and Wing

Assuming the Warriors get Green (player option), Porzingis and a guard with the MLE, this what their roster depth will look like.

PG: Stephen Curry, MLE Guard
SG: Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard
SF: Gui Santos, Jimmy Butler (injured), Moses Moody (injured)
PF: Draymond Green, Yaxel Lendeborg
C: Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford

The Warriors will have four more standard roster spots available, and they are required to use at least three of them.

Of those final roster spots, one must be used on another wing, and another must be used on a center.

If Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody were healthy, the Warriors would be set at the wing. But with both injured, they still need one more body there even after drafting Lendeborg.

It goes without saying that Horford's age and Porzingis' injury/illness history means the Warriors need one more center.

Re-signing Quinten Post is an option, but the Warriors will have a handful of other options as well with a veteran minimum contract.

Among the options are Marvin Bagley III, Jock Landale and Andre Drummond.

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