SAN FRANCISCO — Warriors coach Steve Kerr has built a reputation for failing to develop rookies and young players to their full potential.
While it’s a reputation that’s controversial, new rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, whom Golden State selected with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, is aware of it.
The former Michigan forward formally was introduced by the Warriors on Friday morning and was asked about the early conversations with his new coach.
“Basically just being about expectations, what he expects out of me,” Lendeborg said. “He doesn’t normally play rookies as much. He has a history of that. But the way the team is looking right now, I’m going to have a really good chance to play, maybe even start.
“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 a reputation right away.”
That is exactly what the win-now Warriors are looking for this offseason, and the biggest reason they used their top pick to select Lendeborg.
Golden State’s last five first-round draft picks, Brandin Podziemski, Patrick Baldwin, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman, all had to prove themselves before seeing the floor consistently for Kerr. Obviously, some things didn’t work out for Golden State.
But there is a sense that this time will be different for Lendeborg, Kerr and the Warriors.
Each of those five players listed above was 19 or 20 during their rookie seasons. Lendeborg will be 24. While that was viewed as a worry for some scouts around the league, it was quite the opposite for the Warriors.
They wanted and needed a player who’s mature both in age and NBA readiness, and they believe they got exactly that in Lendeborg.
Plus, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole and Bonta Hill on “Dubs Talk” that leading up to the draft, Kerr essentially hinted at the type of player the roster needs. He noted the “huge gap” in the middle of the roster at the forward position and his desire for a guy who can fit in there and connect the game.
“I was thinking to myself, ‘Is he trying to push us in a way to take Yaxel? Or is he just speaking freely?’ And sure enough, we ended up with a guy who can potentially do that,” Dunleavy said.
Lendeborg already has set some goals for his rookie season.
He hopes to develop an identity that he can be known for, and he’ll start on the defensive side of the floor. That in itself is a great first step into getting on Kerr’s good side.
“I want to try to go in there and be like one of the primary defenders, see if I can gain some trust for them to put me on the best player of the team,” Lendeborg said. “Just being able to do a lot of little things on the court to help out.”
While the do-it-all forward was made aware of Kerr’s youth-infused “dog house,” Lendeborg also is grateful for the opportunity to play for a nine-time NBA champion coach.
“I know he’s a Hall of Fame coach,” Lendeborg said. “He’s played under a Hall of Fame coach as well. He learned so much. He played with one of the best players of all time as well. So he just knows so much of the game. So the impression I want to leave on him is just someone who’s willing to learn, someone who values all of his core values and playing values.
“So I’ll just do the best I can to get on his good side as easy or as quick as possible, and just see if I get some extra playing time from it. But no, I’m just very excited to be coached by someone like him, who is a genuine guy who seems like a person who cares more about you as a person rather than a basketball player. So it’s going to be very fun to play for him.”
The Warriors will begin the 2026-27 NBA season without six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler and Moody as both players continue their respective injury rehabs. That leaves a massive hole at the forward position for Kerr, and opens a broader door for Lendeborg to see the floor.
Like so many rookies before him, Lendeborg is ready to prove he belongs in Kerr’s rotation. And given all circumstances, the Warriors coach might not have a choice but to abide.