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Usually, NBA teams are in sync when they make their selections in the draft, but that didn't seem to be the case for the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors held pick No. 11 in this year's draft after failing to make the playoffs, allowing the team to add a top prospect to their veteran-heavy team. This is a team that doesn't expect to be picking this high often, so there is pressure to get the pick right.
On Tuesday, that pressure may have resulted in spat of sorts in the Warriors' front office.
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Golden State used their first round pick on Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, but that pick may not have been a consensus in the Warriors front office. ESPN showed a video inside the Warriors war room, and it appeared to show owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy arguing right before they made the pick.
Warriors owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. appear to be arguing before the team selects Yaxel Lendeborg at the No. 11 pick, as seen on the ESPN broadcast. #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/NJZwg13cOx
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 24, 2026Golden State was one of the more interesting teams entering the draft as the team had to balance winning now at the end of Stephen Curry's career and building for a future after Curry retired. Lendeborg is one of the oldest players in the draft, so his selection is more about building for next year than building for a few years from now.
Entering the 2026-27 season, there is pressure on the Warriors to maximize Curry while he is still one of the best players in the league. However, that pressure has resulted in Golden State's struggles to develop younger players at the same time.
Lendeborg will plug into the Warriors rotation to help fill in for a few injured players, and his development will be important throughout the season.
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