Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is listed as questionable for the Oct. 28 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The team’s injury report lists inflammation and soreness in his left foot. It is the first time he has appeared on an injury report in his NBA career, and he is listed as day-to-day.
The injury came out of the Oct. 26 win in Denver. Lendeborg had 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in his fourth NBA game, and the win was Golden State’s first of the season after three straight losses to open it. He shot 9-of-19 from the field, 1-of-8 from three and 12-of-13 from the free-throw line.
Luca Evans of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Lendeborg was getting treatment after the game and was limping noticeably on his way to the media room.
At his press conference, Lendeborg said he tripped over Nuggets forward Bryce Hopkins’ foot while chasing him, and that his own foot then hit his other foot. “Now it’s just tender on my left foot,” he said, adding that the medical staff told him it should be nothing crazy.
Lendeborg, the No. 11 pick in the 2026 draft out of Michigan, is averaging 21.8 points through his first four NBA games, along with 9.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and one steal per game. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are out, and Kristaps Porziņģis is listed as not with the team.
Minnesota Is the Cheapest Game for Golden State to Lose Him
Four games into the season, Golden State is already relying on a rookie. With Butler and Porziņģis unavailable, Lendeborg is effectively the forward rotation, and there is no one of comparable role behind him.
The Timberwolves will also be without Anthony Edwards, who will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and could miss up to two months, according to Field Level Media. That makes Wednesday the lowest-cost game on the schedule to hold Lendeborg out.
If he sits, the bigger issue is how thin the roster behind him is, more than his foot.
A Decision Comes Before Tip-Off in Minneapolis
Lendeborg is expected to be evaluated before tip-off on Oct. 28, when he could be ruled out or cleared to play. After Wednesday’s game, the Warriors return home to play the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, Oct. 30.
Leave a Reply