Why Jay Bilas Is Confident Yaxel Lendeborg, Warriors Are A ‘perfect Match'

Why Jay Bilas is confident Yaxel Lendeborg, Warriors are a ‘perfect match' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

STATELINE, Nev. – Yaxel Lendeborg’s journey from college basketball to the Warriors was long and stellar yet perhaps under appreciated for his ability to adapt to his surroundings. He was a transformer in the purest sense.

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound Lendeborg spent two seasons at University of Alabama-Birmingham, where his dominating play at power forward and center made him the most coveted big man to enter the NCAA transfer portal in April 2025.

Lendeborg chose the University of Michigan, where coach Dusty May scanned his rebuilt roster and opted to move Lendeborg to small forward. Alongside fellow transfer students Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr., Lendeborg became a super-size wing.

After moving from the paint to the perimeter in his final college season, Lendeborg was the best player on a Wolverines team that rolled to a national championship.

Jay Bilas, a college basketball analyst at ESPN since 1995, believes Lendeborg’s adaptability was a factor when Golden State selected him with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

“I think it’s difficult for the average player,” Bilas told NBC Sports Bay Area. “But for the star player . . . that’s one of the beautiful things about Yaxel Lendeborg. He’s willing to do what’s asked of him. UAB said ‘Hey, we need you to operate more in the middle and play a 5 spot and guard the 5.’ He essentially played the 3 — or hybrid 3-4 – at Michigan. And he did it. And by all accounts was a great teammate.”

In Lendeborg’s final season at UAB, he averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.7 steals per game. He was one of only two players in NCAA Division I history finish a season with more than 600 points, 450 rebounds and 150 assists. The other is Larry Bird, who accomplished the feat in 1978-79.

With Lendeborg’s name on the board when the Warriors were on the clock on the night of the draft, he was the obvious choice for a team with many needs and a veteran core desperate for effective support.

“We’ve been following Yax for a few years now,” Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said after the draft. “And I think the biggest thing that sticks out about him is he’s a winner. Speaks no further than winning the national championship this year at Michigan.

“But at prior levels, focused on winning, multiskilled, versatile player that we think can play both sides of the ball. He’s got tremendous size. He’s got a great feel for the game. He’s a tremendous teammate. We think he’ll fit in really well here.”

The Warriors project Lendeborg, 23, will be no less than a rotation player as a rookie, with the likelihood of earning some starts.

“I felt like it was a perfect match because Yaxel Lendeborg is not only an outstanding player; he’s got tremendous versatility and he’s built like a tank,” Bilas said. “Because of his versatility, people would say he’s a ‘Swiss Army knife.’ He’s a Swiss Army tank. But he’s plug and play. 

“He’s going to be 24 before the season starts, so he’ll be he’ll be ready to go on day one.

You don’t have to wait; it’s not like you’re taking an 18- or 19-year-old freshman that might take a little bit of time to develop. He’s ready now. And he’s really smart. And it’s not all about him. He’s a team guy, so he’ll fit in really nicely with Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler, the whole crew. Draymond Green. He fits the maturity of that team.”

Lendeborg has appeared in four NBA Summer League games, two in the California Classic at Chase Center and two more in the Las Vegas Summer League. He’s averaging 16.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists per game. Moreover, he usually has been the most impressive player on the floor.

Lendeborg is not a perfect player. His athleticism and lateral movement are good but not elite. He’ll turn 24 on Sept. 30, which doesn’t hurt Golden State’s team-building approach, as he’ll still be in his mid-20s when Curry and Green leave the franchise.

The Warriors already know they have a young player who can fill several needs. It’s a plus that he can provide help at every position on the frontcourt.

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