Warriors land NBA-ready win in first round of new mock draft

With the NBA Finals progressing, the next thing on the basketball calendar after the new champs are crowned is the draft. After a lengthy offseason, we're now just a few weeks away from the Golden State Warriors being on the clock in the first round of the 2026 edition of the NBA draft.

>Despite the draft inching closer, it is still a bit of a mystery what Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Steve Kerr could do with the No. 11 overall selection in the 2026 draft. Multiple players have been linked to the Warriors in the first round and there have also been rumors that Golden State could potentially package the pick up in a trade.

>Yet, in the latest mock draft from The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, the Warriors held the pick and landed an NBA-ready wing in the first round. Vecenie penned Michigan Wolverines wing Yaxel Lendeborg to the Warriors at No. 11 overall. According to Vecenie, Lendeborg is well-rounded on both offense and defense and has the ability to make an impact on the game without the ball in his hands.

>Via The Athletic:

The Warriors are somewhere in that middle ground, and he could be useful in one final ride for Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. His game is tailor-made to enter the NBA early as a well-rounded offensive and defensive player. He can make an impact without the ball and has enough shooting ability to be effective on the baseline as a cutter and floor-spacer from the corners. He also moves the ball quickly, which would fit well within Steve Kerr’s offense.

Read the full mock from Vecenie via The Athletic here.

>Prior to joining Michigan for his final season of college basketball, Lendeborg played three seasons of junior college basketball before transferring to UAB. At UAB, Lendeborg was named AAC Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons.

>At Michigan, the 23-year-old averaging 15.1 points on 51.5% shooting from the field and 37.2% shooting from beyond the arc to go along with 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 assists per game. On the way to winning the national title for the Wolverines, Lendeborg was named a consensus All-American along with the Big Ten Player of the Year.

>The first round of the NBA draft is set for Tuesday, June 23 in Brooklyn, New York.

>This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

>This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors land NBA-ready win in first round of new mock draft