Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors could've handled things differently with Jonathan Kuminga. Though most agree that Kuminga did damage of his own during his Warriors tenure, the former top-10 pick was never truly positioned to play his ideal style or learn from his mistakes without fear of losing minutes. In the end, that led to a lengthy period of restricted free agency and a lackluster trade.
Thankfully, Kerr seems to be learning from what went wrong by stating that incoming rookie Yaxel Lendeborg will play a significant part in the Warriors' plans in 2026-27.
Golden State selected Lendeborg at No. 11 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. That would seemingly imply a desire to feature him early, particularly when one considers that he's already 24 years of age. It's simply an unsafe bet considering the Warriors' history with up-and-comers.
Thankfully, Kerr told Anthony Slater of ESPN that the Warriors intend to give Lendeborg minutes as a rookie—and plenty of them. In fact, he believes the former Michigan star is one of their best players.
"He's going to play a ton," Kerr told ESPN. "Frankly, he deserves it. He's one of our best players already."
Words aren't the same as actions, of course, but Kerr offering that level of praise for Lendeborg is an encouraging sign that the rookie will play meaningful minutes in 2026-27.
Steve Kerr on Yaxel Lendeborg: "He's going to play a ton"
Kerr has delivered four championships and six NBA Finals appearances during his 12 completed seasons as head coach of the Warriors. As such, it's difficult to harp too much on what's gone wrong. The area in which most agree he's come up short, however, is internal development.
Golden State admittedly doesn't have the best track record at the NBA Draft, but Kerr's reluctance to play work-in-progress up-and-comers has arguably narrowed their path toward development.
Kuminga is perhaps the best example of that truth as a player who showcased explosive scoring potential, but never truly gained traction in Kerr's rotation. He had his share of flaws, but at 20.3 points per 36 minutes across four seasons with the Warriors, there were common calls for him to receive an opportunity to learn by fire rather than being benched when things weren't going his way.
Based on Kerr's quote, it appears as though Lendeborg will be given a more supportive environment within which he can develop own skill set.
Up-and-comers need minutes to put what they're learning into practice
Lendeborg is already turning heads during the preseason, particularly with the 17 points he scored against the Los Angeles Lakers. He'll inevitably face a learning curve, however, as he makes the jump from the speed and talent at the collegiate level to that of the NBA.
It's simply human to be excited by what Lendeborg has thus far shown, as he's scored with poise, crashed the boards, and even created for his teammates.
The Warriors are right to want to win right now with Stephen Curry entering the 2026-27 season at 38 years of age. Their roster is flawed, however, and Lendeborg represents an opportunity to build a more balanced and even sustainable unit moving forward.
The good news for Lendeborg is that Kerr doesn't seem to be making the same mistake that he committed with Kuminga and will instead offer him "a ton" of minutes.
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