The Golden State Warriors go into the 2026-27 season with a veteran-heavy roster, but if they're going to have any success at all, they’re going to need to rely on their younger players as well. How well the older and younger guys mesh will determine how the season goes, which is why the relationship between Draymond Green and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is going to be essential if the team wants to be competitive.
During the offseason it seemed like there was a chance Green and Lendeborg got off on the wrong foot. They traded some playful-seeming barbs on social media which made sense given the fact that Lendeborg played his college ball at the University of Michigan, whereas Green played at Michigan State.
Still, Green seemingly crossed the rubicon from playful ribbing to something less playful when he called Lendeborg’s pitch for LeBron James to join the Warriors “pointless”, with the rookie responding by saying that he got a little nervous and hoped Green wouldn’t be hazing him.
Perhaps this was all just in good fun and the both of them were in on the joke and just trying to stir up controversy for the media to feast over. That’s entirely possible, but given Green’s spotty history in the past, namely with Jordan Poole, one could be forgiven for thinking that maybe the 36-year-old wasn’t joking around.
Draymond Green and Yaxel Lendeborg seem like they are getting along (so far)
As training camp begins though, the two seem to be in good terms.
"He looks like, ‘I don’t even know you,’ or ‘I’m not going to talk to you’ kind of guy. Being able to joke around with him — I actually just took a picture with him, and it was kind of cool. I’m happy that he’s that way, and he’s allowing me to be kind of like annoying without him getting bothered for now," Lendeborg said of Green.
There was even a video showing the two of them chatting on the bench, so it seems like so far the pair is getting along just fine which bodes well for the season ahead.
Of course, that could all change if the Warriors get off to a bad start or Lendeborg gets a little too cocky for Green’s liking, but that dynamic is really going to determine a lot for this team going forward.
Maybe Green has matured a bit and understands that while he is still an important part of the team, he needs to be a mentor to the younger guys. The only way the Warriors will succeed is if there’s trust between the younger guys and older players. If Green and Lendeborg can gel together on and off the court, there’s a chance the Warriors can perform better than what many expect of them.
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