Yaxel Lendeborg is already making headlines after the Golden State Warriors picked him with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Being a lottery pick, albeit outside of the top 10, Yaxel Lendeborg is expected to become a decent star in the NBA.
But if there’s one worry about Lendeborg’s growth early in his career, it’s getting drafted by the Golden State Warriors. After all, head coach Steve Kerr has a reputation for not giving a lot of minutes to rookies, regardless of their talent.
Lendeborg is aware of that and he unexpectedly took a shot at Kerr’s history during a recent interview.
Yaxel Lendeborg exposes Golden State Warriors’ poor roster construction
On paper, the Warriors have a decent roster with the likes of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green leading the team. Adding an electrifying rookie forward to the mix could help the Dubs in the long run.
But knowing Kerr’s reputation of barely giving any minutes to rookies, does it worry Lendeborg? It doesn’t seem to be the case.
“Basically just being about expectations, what he expects out of me. He doesn’t normally play rookies as much. He has a history of that,” Lendeborg said, per Anthony Slater on X.
He added, “But the way the team is looking right now, I’m going to have a really good chance to play, maybe even start.
Now, that’s a cold take that may make coach Kerr furious as Lendeborg indirectly called out the Warriors’ poor form during the 2025-26 season, and he even expects to become a starter on the roster.
Yaxel Lendeborg finds ‘extra motivation’ in proving Steve Kerr wrong
Lendeborg didn’t stop there, as the prospect of becoming a starter for the Warriors as a rookie under coach Kerr gives him some ‘extra motivation.’
“So, just having that hope definitely gives me extra motivation to go out there and be one of the new guys that actually does that, actually comes in and builds reputation right away,” Lendeborg said.
While this is an ambitious goal, let’s not forget the likes of Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, and all recent Warriors draft picks had to ride the bench before earning considerable minutes under coach Kerr.
Will Kerr break his rule for Lendeborg, or will this interview make it difficult for the rookie to get consistent minutes? Only time will tell.
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