When the Sacramento Kings selected Nique Clifford with the 24th pick in last year’s draft, there were a lot of raised eyebrows around the NBA community. It wasn’t his skill, but his age that brought out the age-old concern surrounding senior prospects. One year later, those same concerns hover around Yaxel Lendeborg, a far more dynamic prospect who is on the Golden State Warriors’ radar.

Golden State, however, is also considering the “age factor” here, something David Aldridge is urging them not to do. He wants the Warriors to stop worrying and select Lendeborg with the No. 11 pick in this year’s draft.

“If the mantra is we’re going to try to run this back and try one more time, which is a perfectly reasonable decision to make, to me, Lendeborg is the guy to take,” Aldrige said on the Warriors Plus Minus podcast.

He did acknowledge the age concern. Lendbotg will be 23 when he makes his debut in the NBA. But he’s a “play-ready guy,” Aldridge insisted.

“He’s going to come in and play immediately because he knows how to play. And he’s strong like seniors are when they get four years in the weight room,” the NBA expert added.

Lendeborg averaged 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists per game at Michigan this season, as the Wolverines ended up winning the championship. The coaching staff deployed him on opposing point guards for all 94 feet, and he was named Big Ten Player of the Year despite his team being so deep that his scoring average was suppressed.

His teammate Nimari Burnett gave him the nickname during March Madness after a coast-to-coast poster dunk: “Dominican LeBron. It’s as simple as those two words. Just his aggression going to the basket,” he said.

At 6-foot-8 and a half, with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, the measurements support the comparison, even if it’s an ambitious one.

That said, Aldridge isn’t hoping for his move to Golden State based on talent alone. The Warriors ranked in the bottom third of the league in front-court rebounding in the 2025/26 season, and with Draymond Green in the twilight of his career, they could use a profile like that of Lendeborg. He’s someone who can be picked in the Draft and get into the rotation right away.

“They desperately need some size,” he said. “I don’t know if he’s a four or a five in the NBA. I’m not sure, but he’ll play up front and play well right away.”

What’s next for the Warriors ahead of the NBA Draft

The Golden State Warriors and Steph Curry suffered another season without playoff basketball. With the future of Steve Kerr settled, the next plan reported has been how to maximise the remaining years of the four-time champion. The draft was their only chance of rebuilding, especially from a class that’s as deep as the current crop.

They eventually fell to the No. 11 spot, and the conversation has shifted from who to draft to who can contribute right away. Lendeborg is considered one of the most NBA-ready players available, and for the Warriors, it feels like a chance to avoid the mistakes made with James Wiseman during Curry’s later years. He was a talented center, but clearly looked raw for the NBA.

After a decent rookie season in which he averaged 11 points and 6 rebounds per game, injuries began to pile up, derailing his momentum and ultimately cutting his time in the Bay Area short. Today, Wiseman is without a team, and the Warriors remain without a reliable big man.

Multiple reports indicate that the Warriors want someone who can contribute right away.

While the age factor matters, that’s not the team’s biggest issue entering next season. Warriors coach Steve Kerr is “confident” the front office will get somebody who can play, adding that he’s “going to give that guy every opportunity to play.” And that guy most likely feels like the former Michigan star.

Lendeborg checks a lot of boxes. One of them is that he gives the Warriors’ core of Curry, Green, and Jimmy Butler, who are on the wrong side of Father Time, a chance to compete for a championship immediately, as they wouldn’t have to wait for him to fully develop. Not everyone agrees with that logic, though. Some argue the Warriors should trade the pick for a veteran or draft a higher-upside wing like Brayden Burries or Cameron Carr.

Whatever decision Mike Dunleavy and his team make, they have likely taken Steph Curry’s desire to go out with a bang into consideration.