Top Rookie Performances from Fourth Day of 2026 NBA Preseason

Here's a look at the top five rookie performances from the Oct. 6 slate of NBA Preseason games.

Oct 6, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg (1) pushes the ball up the court during the third quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The NBA Preseason continued on Tuesday, Oct. 6, with four more contests.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver took down Utah, the Nets earned a win against the Hornets and Oklahoma City fell at the hands of New Orleans.

After a few solid rookie performances across the first three nights of the NBA Preseason, the fourth night of action featured multiple impressive performances from first-year players.

Five rookies scored in double figures across three games on Tuesday evening, with multiple lottery picks and an undrafted free agent turning in notable performances.

While the preseason isn't a direct indicator of how the upcoming campaign will play out, it is encouraging to see young players log solid showings against other NBA players early in their careers.

Wednesday, Oct. 7, features five more preseason games, including a few that could feature high-profile rookies in action. Memphis welcomes Orlando to town, while Chicago will square off against Phoenix on its home floor.

Before those games get underway, here's a look at the top five performances from rookies on the fourth night of preseason action.

Josh Dix, OKC Thunder

The undrafted free agent and two-way signee logged 11 points, two rebounds, two assists and two turnovers while shooting 4-of-7 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3-point range in 30 minutes off the bench against New Orleans.

Yaxel Lendeborg, Golden State Warriors

The No. 11 pick scored a game-high 17 points to go along with nine rebounds, two assists, two turnovers and a block in 21 minutes on the floor against the Lakers.

Aday Mara, OKC Thunder

The No. 12 pick in the 2026 draft got the start and finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two turnovers and three blocks while shooting 5-of-5 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free throw line in 18 minutes.

OKC's tandem of first-round picks showed out in their NBA preseason debuts!

⛈️ Bennett Stirtz: 15p, 5r, 6a, 6-9 fgm
⛈️ Aday Mara: 12p, 9r, 3b, 5-5 fgm pic.twitter.com/1ObMQCg5EO

— NBA (@NBA) October 7, 2026

Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz

The No. 2 pick scored a game-high 23 points, adding three rebounds, three assists and two turnovers while shooting 10-of-18 from the field, 1-of-6 from 3-point range and 2-of-4 from the free throw line in 30 minutes against Denver.

Bennett Stirtz, OKC Thunder

The No. 16 pick also started for OKC, finishing with a game-high 15 points to go along with six assists, five rebounds and four turnovers while shooting 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-5 from deep in 31 minutes.

Stirtz left the game with an injury late in the fourth quarter and did not return.