The Warriors had a chance to bring Rui Hachimura into the fold, but he ended up taking a two-year, $28 million deal with the LA Clippers instead. That move left the Los Angeles Lakers and closed the door on a path that could have reshaped Golden State’s rotation.
For Yaxel Lendeborg, though, that outcome may be exactly what opens the door widest.
Lendeborg already looked like someone ready to help right away. He won Summer League MVP and has the kind of game that should translate quickly to the NBA.
At 23, and turning 24 before the season even starts, he’s older than most rookies and plays like it. The details stand out: how he moves with and without the ball, how he handles defense against top-level talent, how naturally he fits into the flow of the game.
That matters now more than ever because Hachimura’s absence clears minutes that might have been hard to find otherwise. If Hachimura had landed in Golden State, he and Lendeborg likely would have been fighting for the same wing and forward minutes. Instead, Lendeborg should be thrown right into the action.
He may even have a path to the small forward spot, with a lineup that could include Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Draymond Green, and Kristaps Porzingis. That’s a setup that would ask plenty of him, but it also shows how much trust the Warriors may be ready to place in him.
Hachimura would have brought something valuable to that group. His three-point shooting would have fit neatly next to Curry, and pairing him with Porzingis would have given Golden State a major boost from deep. He would have been a clean fit on paper.
But Hachimura chose the Clippers over the Warriors, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Brooklyn Nets, and the San Antonio Spurs. And with that decision, the Warriors’ reliance on Lendeborg only grows.
He was already going to matter. Now, he may be asked to matter even more, and sooner.
In Other News...
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Warriors Missed Chance At Kawhi Looks Even Bigger Now
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Stephen Curry Could Put Warriors Title Plans Under Serious Pressure
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Stephen Curry may be the next star to shape that conversation, with speculation that he could delay an extension and force the Warriors to build with even more urgency. For Golden State, that would not just mean more pressure to make the right roster calls, it would also invite outside teams to circle and test how far they can push the league's most important voice in the building. [Read more 🡒]