Yaxel Lendeborg Named 2026 NBA Summer League MVP After Warriors' Championship Win
Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is starting out his pro career with a 2026 NBA Summer League MVP title.
Lendeborg received the honor Tuesday after averaging 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and four assists per game on the Warriors' way to the Summer League championship.
He was also named to the Summer League First Team alongside the Memphis Grizzlies' Cameron Boozer, Milwaukee Bucks' Brayden Burries, Cleveland Cavaliers' Meleek Thomas and Chicago Bulls' Caleb Wilson.
Lendeborg was previously named the Summer League Championship Game MVP after scoring 21 points and 10 rebounds in the Warriors' title win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Warriors selected Lendeborg with the No. 11 pick of the 2026 draft after he helped Michigan win a national title in his final college season.
Lendeborg was named a first-team All-American after averaging 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds during the Wolverines' run to the championship.
He now joins Tyus Jones as the second player in history to win NCAA and Summer League titles in the same year.
Lendeborg capped off his Summer League run by helping the Warriors launch a successful comeback from 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to Boozer and the Grizzlies.
He finished the Las Vegas Tournament having shot 45.9 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from deep while adding 1.5 steals per game.
Lendeborg told reporters after the game he was playing with a chip on his shoulder because of doubts surrounding his age heading into the draft. The former Michigan big man is set to turn 24 ahead of his rookie season.
The Warriors will hope Summer League is proof Lendeborg will be able to contribute in his first NBA season as the franchise continues its ongoing campaign to land star free agent LeBron James.
Boozer joined Lendeborg on the First Team after ranking second among players to compete in six Summer League games with 18.5 points per contest. He posted 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists Sunday during the Grizzlies' title game loss to the Warriors.
Thomas earned the First Team honor after leading the tournament by averaging 27.3 points across four games, while Burries and Wilson averaged 23.5 points through four games apiece.
