Warriors GM Dunleavy explains animated interaction with Joe Lacob before drafting Lendeborg

SAN FRANCISCO – Minutes before the Warriors chose Yaxel Lendeborg with the 11th pick in the first round of Tuesday’s NBA draft, Golden State owner Joe Lacob was caught having an animated conversation with general manager Mike Dunleavy on the ESPN broadcast.

The 20-second clip concluded with Lacob turning away from Dunleavy and throwing up his arms in apparent exasperation.

A few moments after that interaction, Dunleavy used the Warriors’ selection on the Michigan star.

Once the first round concluded, Dunleavy stepped up to the podium and explained what was shown on live television.

“As far as the discussion between Joe and I, I think at that point there’s probably some talks about trades and things like that,” Dunleavy said. “But ultimately we were all in agreement to land on taking Yaxel.”

Dunleavy said the Warriors did their due diligence when it came to fielding trade calls, something that tested his boss’ patience.

“I think Joe was like, ‘C’mon, let’s go ahead and pick the guy’ and I said, ‘Joe, we have time 10 minutes,’’ Dunleavy recalled. “He was just getting a little anxious about us taking Yaxel, and the good thing is that because we were on the clock, nobody could swoop in and take him ahead of us.”

With the Warriors coming off a 37-45 season and a loss in the play-in tournament, Lacob had keen interest in the draft process.

“He’s so into it,” Dunleavy said. “Coming out of tonight, he’s really happy … he’s really excited about the pick and who we got now and how he can help us.”

The player Dunleavy ended up picking was one of the most decorated in the nation.

Lendeborg’s sixth and final season in college saw him collect a slew of national awards: First-team All-American by multiple publications, Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

Though Lendeborg will be 24 when training camp begins in September, Dunleavy still saw plenty of upside in the player who will be asked to provide much-needed youth to a team led by 38-year-old Steph Curry and 36-year-old Draymond Green.

“He’s always been good. This isn’t a guy who just showed up one year at Michigan all of a sudden and beat up on younger guys,” Dunleavy said. “He’s always been good in college, and then this year he really stepped it up at the highest level. So I think for that reason, we don’t treat him as one of these traditional older guys.”

Lendeborg might be older than the average draftee, but he is still among the generation who grew up watching Curry and the Warriors … albeit as a Cavaliers fan.

Once a self-proclaimed Kyrie Irving superfan, Lendeborg now has a chance to play with the Bay Area legend who went 3-1 against Irving in the NBA Finals.

“I used to hate Steph Curry. Now that I’m actually going to be able to be on the same team with him, play and actually learn so much from him, it means a lot,” Leneborg told reporters in New York. “I met him a couple times. He’s a very great guy, genuine person. It’s going to be an honor to be able to watch what he does in person. So I’m very excited.”

With Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler expected to miss the majority of the season with knee injuries, Dunleavy envisions Lendeborg as a candidate to get big minutes as a wing. But playing power forward or even center is also expected.

“He can literally plug in at multiple different positions because he can guard small, he can guard big, he can play inside, outside, so it probably makes our job in free agency a little bit easier,” Dunleavy said.

Lendeborg will wear No. 1 for the Warriors, last worn by Jonathan Kuminga.

Lendeborg’s collegiate number, 23, is already taken by a player he hopes to emulate and learn from.

“Draymond was a pivotal, pivotal piece to all the championships that they have won,” Lendeborg said. “He’s a phenomenal player and passer and all that stuff. He does all the little things well. So I feel like learning from him and trying to get him to be my vet would be the most crucial part for me in my development.”