Yaxel Lendeborg’s rise may be giving the Warriors something they haven’t had in a long time: a reason to think bigger.
Golden State has spent the better part of the last half decade guarding its future first-round picks, wary of leaving the post-Stephen Curry years with nothing to build on. That caution has frustrated fans who wanted the team to go harder all-in while Curry is still carrying the franchise. Even the Jimmy Butler move nearly two years ago came at a relatively modest price, costing just one first-round pick and one that was only a matter of months down the line.
Now Lendeborg is changing the conversation.
Draymond Green said last week, before the season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, that the Warriors may have found their next face of the franchise after Curry. Lendeborg has backed that up with a strong run of play, following impressive outings against the Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns with a monster showing Monday night in the 134-124 win over the Denver Nuggets. He put up 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, finishing at plus-27 in 31 minutes.
Brandin Podziemski also kept adding to that picture, finishing at plus-33 while posting 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Together, the two have made the Warriors’ post-Curry outlook look a lot less bleak than it did just a few months ago.
That matters because it could alter how Golden State handles its future picks. If Lendeborg keeps looking like this, and if Podziemski continues to develop too, the Warriors may feel more willing to package two or even three future first-rounders in the right deal to give Curry one more real shot at another title.
Of course, the record still has to cooperate. It would be a tough sell for the front office to sacrifice multiple first-round picks if the Warriors are hovering around 11th or 12th in the West. But if they can stay in Play-In territory until Jimmy Butler returns, that might be enough to make them aggressive.
After years of playing it safe, Lendeborg may be the player who nudges Golden State into a win-now move, with the comfort of knowing he and Podziemski could help carry the franchise into the next era.
In Other News...
Warriors Rookie Is Delivering But One Draft Doubt Just Got Louder
The early returns on Yaxel Lendeborg have been exactly what Golden State needed while key teammates work their way back from injuries. The rookie has already carved out a real role, and in a season where the Warriors have had to lean on depth sooner than expected, he has looked like one of their most useful players right away.
Across the bracket, Aday Maras preseason has only sharpened the contrast between promise and opportunity. The Oklahoma City Thunder rookie turned in a strong exhibition stretch and even logged a double-double in a recent game, but the path to meaningful minutes is crowded on a roster with real depth. For now, the talent is easy to see, even if the chance to show it consistently still looks limited. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Kuminga Is Reviving An Uncomfortable Warriors Debate
Jonathan Kumingas early run since leaving Golden State has brought back a familiar question around the Warriors: was the issue ever really his talent, or the way he fit into their structure? His offensive production has stayed fairly steady with his new teams, but the bigger shift has come on the other end, where the numbers have been kinder to him with both the Hawks and Timberwolves. Those stops have given him a different context, and the improvement has been noticeable enough to reopen the conversation about what kind of defender he can be when the environment around him is right.
The support system matters here. Playing next to strong rim protectors and elite point-of-attack defenders has helped cover some of the gaps that complicated Kumingas role in Golden State, while also making it easier to see his own ability to hold up on that end. For the Warriors, that is the uncomfortable part of the debate: his new situations have suggested a player whose defensive value may depend as much on deployment as on instinct, and whose best position is still not settled. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Just Got Linked To A Trade Idea Fans Will Debate
The Warriors keep getting mentioned in center-market conversations, and one of the more interesting ideas on the table would send Daniel Gafford from Dallas to the Bay in a package built around Moses Moody, Gui Santos and a 2028 first-round pick. It is the kind of proposal that immediately invites debate because it speaks directly to Golden States need for more size in the middle while also asking Dallas to weigh long-term value against a player who has carved out a useful role.
From the Warriors perspective, the appeal is obvious: Gafford would give them a more traditional option at a spot where they have been searching for answers. The twist is that the discussion is not just about fit, but about whether the money works cleanly for both sides and how much the Mavericks would value Moody, whose injury status and playing profile are part of the larger calculation. Nothing is finalized, of course, but this is the sort of deal framework that can linger because it forces both front offices to decide how much certainty they want now versus what they might prefer later. [Read more 🡒]