The Warriors head into Las Vegas summer league with a group that already looks ahead of the pack.
That starts with No. 11 pick Yaxel Lendeborg, who made a strong first impression at the California Classic at Chase Center. In two appearances, he put up 30 points and eight assists while looking comfortable on the wing, and the early read is that he fits the “pro-ready” label the Warriors had on him from the start.
At 6-foot-9, Lendeborg brings the kind of size that can play multiple spots, and Warriors summer coach Khalid Robinson has also been using him as a lead ballhandler. That matters because the Warriors will want Steph Curry, De’Anthony Melton and Draymond Green handling the ball most of the time.
But with Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody expected to miss most of the season with knee injuries, and with that veteran trio also carrying injury risk, there should be chances for Lendeborg to spend time on the ball during the regular season. Summer league is the place to start that work.
The Warriors’ veteran summer group also changes the feel of this roster. Will Richard, LJ Cryer and Malevy Leons were all part of the rotation last season, and they looked like a step above the rest of the field in the first two California Classic games.
They were then scratched for Monday’s finale, which was played in front of only scouts and media. That kind of treatment makes sense for players who already proved they can handle NBA minutes.
It would also not be a shock if the Warriors eventually shut those veterans down once Vegas gets rolling. The summer league is the last live action they’ll have before training camp in late September, but there’s little reason to take unnecessary risks with players who are already rotation-caliber.
There are also a few frontcourt names worth watching closely. With Quinten Post gone to Memphis and the rest of the Warriors’ big men either getting up there in age, dealing with injuries, or both, a summer league big could still carve out a path to a future rotation spot.
Graham Ike is one of the names to circle. The 6-9, 245-pound Gonzaga product plays with force and is willing to step out and shoot. He averaged 17.8 points per game in three seasons in Spokane and started all three California Classic games for Golden State, hitting 52.6% of his shots.
Lachlan Olbrich is another. The 22-year-old already has NBA experience after playing 37 games for the Bulls as a second-round pick last season, and he even posted a triple-double in April. He made the most of his extended run Monday, going 7-for-7 from the field and collecting six rebounds.
Chance McMillian has also turned heads. The Vallejo native has scored in double figures in all three games and has looked fully recovered from the ankle surgery that kept him out of last summer league.
Golden State is guaranteed at least five games in Las Vegas. The confirmed matchups are the Mavericks on Thursday at 4 p.m., the Thunder on Sunday at 3 p.m., the Grizzlies on July 14 at 4 p.m., and the Knicks on July 16 at 4 p.m.
If the Warriors finish among the top four teams in summer league, they’ll move on to the playoffs with the other finalists. If not, they’ll still play a fifth game on a date that has not yet been set.
And the Bay Area connection doesn’t stop with the Warriors. Former Stanford freshman sensation Ebuka Okorie will suit up for the Detroit Pistons after going No. 17 overall in last month’s draft.
Santa Clara’s Allen Graves went two picks later to Toronto and will play for the Raptors. Former Saint Mary’s forward Joshua Johnson, who transferred to Iowa State in 2024, was taken No. 28 overall by Minnesota and then traded to Brooklyn.
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