While the Sacramento Kings played the 2026 NBA Draft borderline perfectly, there was speculation that they might go with Yaxel Lendeborg in the first-round. By that, I mean I, and I alone, was speculating about Lendeborg. All is not lost as the Kings could still get him from the Warriors.
There are few franchises in the NBA who squander young talent the way the Golden State Warriors do. Plus, no one holds onto aging former stars at the expense of planning for the future like Steve Kerr. Keep Stephen Curry, of course, but everyone else over the age of 25 should probably be cut.
Now, the Warriors have drafted Lendeborg, a versatile forward who recently won a national championship with the Michigan Wolverines. He's great on both offense and defense, and has an almost endless motor not to mention a high basketball IQ. He's basically a Swiss Army player.
With six years of college experience under his belt, Lendeborg is well-seasoned and is pretty much ready to be inserted into the rotation now. If the Warriors do this right, and they probably won't, Lendeborg could be a starter by the end of this season. At least he didn't end up on OKC.
The Kings need to watch Lendeborg
Unfortunately, the Warriors track record with rookies and sophomores hasn't exactly been great the last few years. Just ask Jonathan Kuminga, who finally got free of Kerr only to end up back on the trading block in Atlanta. His game is well-behind where it should be thanks to the Warriors.
Hopefully, Golden State has learned from the past and won't make the same mistakes. If they do, the Kings need to be ready to make a trade at a moment's notice. Lendeborg's status as an elite forward from a championship college shows his pedigree as an athlete, and demonstrates his prowess.
This isn't about what the Kings didn't do in the 2026 NBA Draft. Nothing could be further from the truth as Sacramento drafted brilliantly. It's just a suggetion that the relationship between Lendeborg and the Warriors could sour over the next couple of years, opening the door for the Kings.
If they do get the opportunity, the Kings have to do it right. Lendeborg is a great player, just not great enough to get taken down in a potentially one-sided trade. But if there is an opening for Sacramento to make a bold move to get Lendeborg, they have to seriously consider it.
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