​Bridging the gap between a veteran team on the last leg of their prime and building for the future is not without challenges. As much as the Golden State Warriors have wanted to excel at smoothly integrating talented young players with their experienced core, they have come up short nearly every time. From James Wiseman to Jordan Poole to Jonathan Kuminga, the Warriors have fumbled several opportunities with promising young players. With the team’s most recent lottery pick, Yaxel Lendeborg, Golden State is under more pressure than ever to finally nail a draft selection. Doing so requires that the Warriors avoid the pitfalls that have previously hindered other young players. Lendeborg’s Press Conference Comments Set Off a Chain ReactionWhen the Warriors drafted Lendeborg, he was asked all the usual questions: How does it feel to hear your name called? What do you think you can bring to the team?But one question in particular set off a chain reaction of turbulent exchanges that could have severe implications down the line. In the opening press conference for the new rookies, Lendeborg was asked if he had heard from any of his new Warriors teammates. He responded by saying he had heard from Stephen Curry, who welcomed him and fellow draftee Lajae Jones. However, he hadn’t heard back from Draymond Green, whom he had reached out to.Green caught wind of the rookie’s comments. He then posted a screenshot of a text thread between him and Lendeborg, showing that he did, in fact, respond to him. “Yaxel’s been f—lying. It’s the Michigan way,” Green said on his podcast, alluding to the rivalry between their two colleges – Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. “This guy texts me. I text back within 30 seconds.”He continued to pile on to the 23-year-old’s remarks. “This f—— guy goes in an interview and says ‘Oh man, Steph reached out. I texted Draymond, still waiting on a response back.’ You f—— liar Yaxel… How the hell you gonna say ‘Draymond haven’t text me back?’”Draymond responds to Yaxel Lendeborg’s comments on him “Yaxel’s been f**king lying, it’s the Michigan way, this guy texted me, I text back within 30 seconds, this f**king guy goes in an interview and says ‘oh man, Steph reached out, texted Draymond, still waiting on a… pic.twitter.com/owwFpcSLq4— The Draymond Green Show (@DraymondShow) July 1, 2026Lendeborg later clarified that he meant to say Green didn’t answer a specific question he asked – not that he didn’t answer at all.“He knew what I was talking about, man,” Lendeborg said. “I asked him a question, and he didn’t respond to the question… Well, I should have emphasized it, but I didn’t,” he laughed. Lendeborg downplayed the back-and-forth, implying they had no personal issues. But the awkward exchanges didn’t stop there. “We’re both good.”Yaxel Lendeborg on his relationship with Draymond Green, and their back and forth on social media