Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr expressed satisfaction with the team's offseason moves, emphasizing the importance of roster depth and player maturity, even in the absence of splashy, high-profile free agent signings. Kerr shared his perspective during an appearance on the "Tom Tolbert Show" over the weekend.
While the Warriors were not successful in acquiring top-tier free agents like LeBron James during the offseason, Kerr indicated that the front office made the best possible moves to assemble the current roster. "Look, we did the best we could to put together the roster," Kerr stated. "I think Yaxel [Lendeborg] is going to help quite a bit."
Lendeborg, who led Michigan to a national championship during the NCAA March Madness tournament, was selected by the Warriors with the 11th pick in the NBA draft. Although he has not yet played in an official NBA game, Lendeborg has impressed the team. He was named MVP of the Summer League after leading the Warriors' Summer League team to a championship.
"He's a really good player; he's older, he's mature," Kerr said of Lendeborg. "Watching him work out with our guys, he's going to help us."
Kerr also pointed to other players such as Gui Santos, Brandin Podziemski, Georges Niang, and Brandon Williams as valuable additions who may not be "earth-shattering" but will contribute significantly to the team's success.
The Warriors also anticipate the return of key players Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody. Butler is reportedly expected to rejoin the team between January and February, after recovering from an ACL tear. Moody is expected to resume basketball activities later this month and could return to play early in the season.