What we’ve learned about Yaxel Lendeborg from Warriors summer league

Yaxel Lendeborg was dubbed by many as the most pro-ready prospect of the 2026 NBA draft class before the Warriors selected him No. 11 overall. The 6-foot-9 forward was a solid 241 pounds and was tested by six seasons of college ball.

The soon-to-be 24-year-old concluded his marathon career on the collegiate circuit as a champion at Michigan, dominating with a well-rounded skillset that earned him the nickname “Dominican LeBron.”

Whether Lendeborg will be teammates with his idol is still to be determined as James’ free agency drags into its fourth week.

The Warriors beat the Lakers 92-88 in the Summer League playoff semifinals after going 3-1 in the Las Vegas competition. Golden State will take on the Grizzlies in the final on Sunday at 6 p.m.

Memphis won their first matchup 106-85 on Tuesday.

Will Richard returned to the rotation and put in nine points, while LJ Cryer and Graham Ike each scored 16.

Lendeborg put up 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

“We’re just doing little things to show we are winners … we’re going to do our best to try to bring it home,” Lendeborg said on the NBC Bay Area broadcast.

Through seven games of summer league, the Warriors’ forward of the future looks ready to be their answer to several questions facing the team’s uncertain present.

With Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler both expected to miss large swaths or all of the 2026-27 season with knee injuries, Lendeborg should receive all of he minutes he can handle in Steve Kerr’s rotation.

If summer league is any indication, he will be ready for them. Here are three things we learned about Lendeborg during summer league play.

The shooting appears to be real

After spending his first three years of community college and an initial season at UAB as a non-shooter, there was some question as to how real Lendeborg’s 37% rate from behind the 3-point line was in his final two collegiate seasons.

Early returns indicate he will be a credible threat as a shooter. In an admittedly small sample size of 31attempts, Lendeborg has made a whopping 15 of them. But beyond the numbers — buoyed by a scorching 7 of 9 showing in two games at the California Classic — his form looks sound.

Those compact, quick shooting mechanics have been mostly used as a catch-and-shoot specialist in the corners and on the wing, exactly the kind of attempts he’ll be asked to take next to Steph Curry and De’Anthony Melton.

The Warriors do not need him to be Kevin Durant, but if Lendeborg can shoot in the mid-30s from deep this season, that will be a boon for a Golden State team that often struggled to make open shots last season.

Defense and conditioning needs work

In what has been a role reversal for a man who was lauded as a stopper in Ann Arbor, Lendeborg’s hot shooting has been balanced out by his unfocused defense.

Obviously, playing with a ragtag squad in what can often feel like glorified pickup runs is not the best environment for fostering defensive solidity. But Lendeborg’s tendency to float stood out in a setting where most players were zooming at maximum speed.

Both himself and coaches noted Lendeborg’s lack of physicality when guarding, often being knocked back or moved in a way a man of his stature should not.

Then there were the possessions where he hardly moved, watching rather than being proactive. This occurred regardless of which position he happened to be guarding, as the Warriors toggled him around to each area of the court. Not good signs for someone who will be asked to guard some of the top wings in the NBA as a rookie.

To Lendeborg’s credit, has has repeatedly taken ownership of his mishaps in summer league. The rookie said he took an extended break from conditioning after winning the national title, and is working to acclimate himself to the faster pace of the NBA game.

With summer league ending this weekend, he will have over two months to get into NBA shape before training camp starts.

Point-Yaxel could be a thing

Before summer league began, coach Khalid Robinson made sure to note Lendeborg had the ability to be a lead ballhandler in the NBA.

The early returns have been promising but still indicate a player who is a work in progress. His 30:16 assist to turnover ratio is acceptable. The types of passes he has thrown in the pick-and-roll have been eye-opening.

Rockets to the corners for open 3-pointers, quick pocket passes to rollers and kickouts to the wings that keep the offense ticking along. Lendeborg’s playmaking repertoire, which also includes reps where he has been the passer in the post on the famous Warrior split cuts, has been encouraging.

But some of his physical limitations – perhaps some caused by his lackluster conditioning – led to Lendeborg occasionally struggling to get past his defender and into the paint, even with his size advantage.

However, the number of 6-foot-9 players who can beat defenders off the dribble with quickness can be counted on one hand. He has also been a dogged rebounder – grabbing 40 rebounds through six games – who has made up for that by putting back offensive rebounds.

If the summer league is anything to go off, the Warriors’ top draft pick will be ready to contribute right away when training camp begins in late September.