Yaxel Lendeborg already has his eye on Draymond Green’s No. 23 jersey in Golden State, but there’s a certain line he’s not willing to cross to get it.
The forward landed with the Warriors on Tuesday, taken No. 11 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft after a national championship run at Michigan. He wore 23 throughout that title-winning campaign and would naturally like to keep it.
The number belongs to Green, a four-time champion and the longest-serving member of Golden State’s core. Asked about what he might do to claim it, Lendeborg was emphatic in his answer, and it might lead to an awkward locker-room exchange when he lands in San Francisco.
Yaxel Lendeborg won’t budge on Michigan rivalry with Green
Lendeborg spent just one season at the University of Michigan, but it was the year that turned him into a lottery pick.
He arrived as the top name in the transfer portal after two seasons at UAB and a stint in junior college at Arizona Western, then finished the campaign as Big Ten Player of the Year, a consensus First-Team All-American and a national champion.
Green is a Michigan State man through and through. The two schools share one of college basketball’s fiercest in-state rivalries, and that history is exactly what came out when Lendeborg was asked about a possible jersey swap.
The question was straightforward. Would he wear Michigan State gear all season if that was the price of getting Green to give up No. 23?
Lendeborg said (via GSW on YouTube): “Nah, I’m not doing that, man. I hate those guys. I’ve only been there for one year, but I definitely hate those guys.
“All that they were saying and they can’t really say much because we, you know, I went 2-0 against them this year. So, they’re going to be little brother for me forever and I’m not going to represent the losers ever.”
Yaxel Lendeborg could be Draymond Green’s successor
Green slipped to No. 35 in the 2012 draft and built himself into a four-time champion and one of the best defenders of his generation.
Lendeborg went 24 spots higher at No. 11, arriving as one of the most NBA-ready prospects in this deep class at 23 years old.
Green is now in the later stages of his career, and Golden State will eventually need someone to take on that defensive workload. The hope is that Lendeborg — versatile, physical and young enough to be malleable — can grow into that role.
For now, he is happy to let his new teammate keep the number.
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