Mike Dunleavy Jr. Said 'He's Not 38' After Golden State Dangled Its 11th Pick and Nobody in the League Is Ready For It

Alright, Seattle, listen up, because even if it's not our Mariners or Seahawks making moves right now, the NBA Draft just went down, and Golden State just dropped a bombshell at pick number 11 that’s got the whole league buzzing. The Warriors went and snagged Yaxel Lendeborg with that 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and let me tell you, the drama around it feels like something straight out of a rivalry game at Climate Pledge. We're talking about a situation where their front office was reportedly *dangling* that pick before making the call. Can you believe it? The audacity!

Golden State's High-Stakes Gamble at No. 11

So, the Warriors had the 11th pick, right? And reports are flying that they were straight up dangling it out there, trying to make some noise before finally pulling the trigger on Lendeborg. This isn't just a simple draft pick, folks. This is a team trying to reshape its future, and you gotta wonder what kind of offers they were getting, or what kind of chaos they were trying to create with that move. It’s like watching a high-stakes poker game, and Golden State just went all-in on a guy that has everyone scratching their heads and talking. We're used to our teams making calculated moves, but this? This has "big risk, big reward" written all

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over it for the Bay Area squad.

Age Ain't Nothing But a Number, Or Is It?

Now, here’s where it gets *really* spicy. After picking Lendeborg, the immediate whispers started up, likely about his age. Warriors General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. wasn't having any of it, though. He stepped up to the mic, basically dismissing those concerns with a quote that’s going to echo through the league: "He's not 38." Boom. Talk about shutting down the noise. You gotta respect the directness, but it also tells you there was *serious* chatter about this guy's age for the GM to feel like he had to address it head-on. Plus, we've already got some "takeaways" from Lendeborg’s draft night interview floating around, meaning he’s already made an impression, for better or worse. It’s early days, but the spotlight is definitely on this kid now. So, what's next? Everyone's going to be watching Yaxel Lendeborg like a hawk. How does a player, picked after his team allegedly tried to trade the selection, and with his age already a topic of discussion, handle the pressure? It’s going to be fascinating to see how this plays out in the upcoming season. The Warriors made their move, and now the rest of the league, and every passionate fan in the Emerald City who loves a good sports drama, waits to see if it pays off. Get ready, because the 2026-27 NBA season just got a whole lot more interesting for one specific 11th pick.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.