Yaxel Lendeborg Jokes About Steve Kerr’s Reluctance to Develop Young Players

Yaxel Lendeborg is already making headlines after the Golden State Warriors picked him with the No. 11 overall pick.

Yaxel Lendeborg Jokes About Steve Kerr’s Reluctance to Develop Young Players

Yaxel Lendeborg on Steve Kerr (Image credits - Firstsportz)

Steve Kerr will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. His legacy with the Golden State Warriors is cemented forever. He joined the club in 2014 and has taken them to six NBA Finals and won four championships. He created a dynasty and coached arguably the greatest team of all time from 2015-19.

After a difficult 2025-26 campaign, the Warriors were handed their highest draft pick in five years at number 11. They used the pick to draft Yaxel Lendeborg from the Michigan Wolverines.

While speaking to the media, Lendeborg opened up about his first conversation with Kerr after getting drafted by the Warriors.

He doesn’t normally play rookies as much. He has a history of that. But the way the team is looking right now, I’m going to have a really good chance to play, maybe even start.

Yaxel Lendeborg in his press conference

Steve Kerr has a reputation for not giving enough minutes to rookies. Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman, and Brandin Podziemski have all struggled to find a place in Kerr’s plans. The most notable one being Kuminga who many believe Kerr was the reason for his unceremonious exit from the Warriors.

The latest rookie, Yaxel Lendeborg, is aware of Kerr’s reluctance to give rookies many minutes. However, he came into the NBA draft as the oldest player; hence, he joins the Warriors with some experience. He has been blunt with his statements so far as he recently revealed that he hated Stephen Curry as he is a huge Kyrie Irving fan.

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Steve Kerr and the Warriors will be looking for a much-improved 2026-27 campaign

The Warriors are coming off a poor 2025-26 campaign. They finished at 10th place in the Western Conference standings with a 37-45 record and had to play in the Play-In Tournament. Their season came to an end after they lost to the Phoenix Suns in their second Play-In game.

Following the loss, Steve Kerr embraced Stephen Curry and Draymond Green on the sidelines. Hence, many believed that his time with the Warriors had come to an end. However, to everyone’s surprise, he signed a two-year contract to return to the Warriors last month.

Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr (Image credits – Polymarket Hoops/X)

The move was a shock to many, but it looks like Kerr would like to coach Curry in the final years of his career. At 38, Curry does not have a lot of years in him. But the Warriors will be active in the offseason as they look to extend their championship window.

Kerr and the Warriors will be hoping for a much better showing next season. Jimmy Butler will be expected to return at the beginning of next year as he recovers from an ACL tear. Therefore, an important season awaits the Warriors as their veterans Curry and Green look to give a final push for a championship.

Kendrick Perkins calls for the Warriors to make a move for Jaylen Brown

It has been a complicated last few days for Jaylen Brown. Coming off his best individual season, where he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, he led the Boston Celtics to a second-place finish in the Eastern Conference standings this year.

However, recent reports have suggested that the Celtics included him in a trade package for Giannis Antetokounmpo. While the move did not take place as Antetokounmpo ended up in Miami, it has raised doubts regarding Brown’s future with the Celtics heading forward.

Former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins believes the Warriors should make a move for Brown this offseason.

When you talk about maxing Stephen Curry’s last few years with the Warriors and giving him a fair shot at winning the championship, they are a senior citizen group with Stephen Curry still playing at an elite level. You got out, you make a move. You adding Jaylen Brown to this roster is an upgrade for Steph Curry. That’s why you get a young 28-29 year old Jaylen Brown.

Kendrick Perkins on First Take

The Warriors’ front office is expected to get a lot more active in the offseason this year. At present, their roster is only good enough to be a Play-In team. With Curry at the backend of his career and Butler ruled out for the next few months, they will need to make some big moves if they have to have any chance of contending for a title this year.

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