By the end of this season, the entire league will be looking at Yaxel Lendeborg going 11th overall as the steal of the draft. The Sacramento Kings might already be thinking that after Lendeborg took it to them in their preseason matchup. He's going to leave a lot of "what ifs" in people's minds.
Sacramento went into the 2026 NBA Draft with a very specific target in mind, namely Darius Acuff Jr. As part of their ongoing rebuild, the Kings wanted a rookie point guard to develop alongside their other young players. It remains a good plan that is already starting to work out.
While Acuff is still finding his footing, his overall play in the preseason has been impressive. If this is the kind of performance he's going to deliver now, it's not hard to imagine how good he's going to be once he hits full NBA speed. He could easily end up being a Rookie of the Year contender.
On top of that, Acuff is also starting to find a groove with his teammates. He is developing real on-court chemistry with Domantas Sabonis in particular. They're not going to be the greatest defensive duo of all time, but that's why Dylan Cardwell and Jonathan Mogbo are on the court with them.
Did the Kings miss out on Lendeborg?
At the same time, it's impossible for the Kings to watch Lendeborg play and not wonder what might have been had they chosen differently. Sacramento selected Acuff seventh while Golden State took Lendeborg 11th. That means the Kings had an opening to draft him if they wanted to.
In the preseason matchup between the Warriors and the Kings, Lendeborg had himself a game. He started as the power forward, played almost 24 minutes, and finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block. On top of that, he shot 71.4% from the field.
If he can sustain that kind of performance throughout the season, Lendeborg will also be a legitimate ROTY contender. Plus, he'll help revive a Warriors squad that is having some serious problems with their identity. Golden State is starting down their own rebuild path.
The Kings may have missed out on Lendeborg, but so did 28 other teams in the league. It's also hard to be upset when Sacramento has a rookie point guard the caliber of Acuff. Who knows? Maybe the Warriors will fumble Lendeborg the way they have so many other young players in recent years.
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