The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 NBA Draft.The Golden State Warriors selected Yaxel Lendeborg with the No. 11 pick on Tuesday in the NBA Draft. Lendeborg averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the national champion Michigan Wolverines.He’s a good athlete, as he’s fluid and plays with power. Lendeborg carries his 235-pound frame well while also being able to move laterally, and he has some lift vertically off one and two feet, though he’s not overly twitchy. More of a power athlete than a quick one. Very much looks the part of an NBA player.He’s also a top defensive prospect: a multi-time defensive award winner in college, he did an amazing job this season of rounding out his defensive game and becoming a more versatile chess piece on defense. Michigan had no fear using him across the positional spectrum to guard one through five. At times, he would pressure point guards 60 feet away from the rim while they brought the ball up the court. At other times, he would slide down and guard on the block. NBA coaching staffs will be excited to devise different ways to use Lendeborg on that end, as he seemed to embrace turning into a defensive stopper.Lendeborg profiles a lot better in an off-ball role than a primary role as there isn’t a lot of craft or nuance to his gathers or ballhandling. He’s a powerful player and has the tools to be a power player even at the NBA level, given his strength, length and shooting ability. It’s all pretty straightforward and based on power in a way that I’m not sure will translate to separating regularly from his man in the NBA, unless a teammate or a ball screen creates an advantage for him.Sam Vecenie’s draft guide summaryYaxel Lendeborg is one of the best high-leverage role player bets in the 2026 NBA DraftSam VecenieThere are some limitations with Lendeborg as a true creator, but it’s hard to find a player more ready-made to step into an NBA rotation. He’s a monster defender with legitimate plus-plus tools in terms of size and length at 6 feet 9 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan and the fluidity to slide his feet laterally. I would bet on him maxing out just below the level of All-Defense, but I don’t think I can completely rule it out if he really decides he wants to be a stopper.