Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg's historic start meets a foot scare before Minnesota

Four games into his NBA career, Yaxel Lendeborg is already the main reason anyone outside the Bay is talking about the Golden State Warriors. Now the team has to find out whether his left foot will hold up. The rookie forward is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game at Minnesota with left foot inflammation and soreness, ClutchPoints reported. It is the first time he has appeared on the injury report.

He got hurt during his best night as a pro. In Monday's 134-114 win at Denver, Lendeborg posted 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in about 31 minutes, the first win of Golden State's season. Golden State Warriors On SI reported that he tripped over Nuggets forward Bryce Hopkins' foot and said afterward that the foot was "tender," though he added that the medical staff told him it should not be anything serious.

The numbers explain why the team is watching so closely. SB Nation's Golden State Of Mind laid out the run. Lendeborg is averaging 21.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists on 45/35/77 shooting, and he leads all rookies in scoring. His 87 points and 37 rebounds put him on a short list with Patrick Ewing, David Robinson and Shaquille O'Neal as the only players since 1985-86 to reach 85 and 35 through four career games. In franchise history, only Wilt Chamberlain scored more in his first four games as a Warriors rookie. He has also earned 31 free-throw attempts already, and he went 12 of 13 in Denver. All this from the 11th pick in the 2026 draft, a player who started out in junior college.

The praise has come from the top of the roster. Stephen Curry pointed to his composure and called him a matchup problem. Steve Kerr said the ball went to the rookie in nearly every key moment against the Nuggets, which the coach called rare for a first-year player.

What it means at Minnesota

Golden State goes into the last game of its three-game road trip at 1-3. Before the Denver win it lost 127-105 at the Lakers, 111-108 at home to Memphis and 131-122 at Phoenix. On SI reported that the rest of the roster is about as healthy as it has been all season, with Curry, Draymond Green and Al Horford available. But the forward depth is thin. If Lendeborg sits, Gui Santos would likely have to play heavy minutes, and Green would spend more of his time at forward.

The market has Minnesota favored. On this site's board, which tracks 12 venues, Novig has the Timberwolves at -156 and the Warriors at +150 on the moneyline. On the spread, Novig lists Golden State at +3.5 for +108. The best number anywhere is Pinnacle's +4 at -105. On the Minnesota side, BetRivers' -3.5 at -110 is a hair better than Novig's -111. The total is 227.5 at Novig, with the over at -100 and the under at -104. Hard Rock Bet has the highest total, 228.5, with the under at -115. The venues are not far apart: sportsbook hold runs from 2.4% to 5.2% on the spread and from 2.6% to 4.9% on the moneyline.

Lendeborg will be evaluated before tip-off, and his status is the biggest open question for Golden State on Wednesday night.