"Whitehead, selected with the 22nd overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, got off to a slow start in his professional career following an injury-plagued freshman season at Duke. Brooklyn took a cautious approach to his development, betting that the athleticism and talent that once made him the nation's No. 2 recruit would resurface once he regained full health. But Whitehead never suited up for Summer League as a rookie, appeared in just two games and spent most of the year with the Long Island Nets. Last season, he showed flashes in limited NBA action, averaging 5.7 points on 44.6% shooting from 3-point range across 20 appearances, including five double-digit outings."
"The burst, lift and lateral quickness that once defined his game never fully returned, though, leaving him buried on the depth chart, even as Brooklyn shifted its focus toward developing younger talent. With four guards selected in June's draft, the Nets' backcourt quickly became more crowded, casting further doubt on the 21-year-old's future with the team. Whitehead averaged just seven minutes across two preseason appearances and didn't play in Brooklyn's 132-127 overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns in Macao on Friday."
""I can tell you he's gotten better," head coach Jordi Fernandez told reporters after practice earlier in the month. "You look at his body from the summer, how hard he's worked, he's already gotten better and keeps taking advantage of his opportunities. I think that's a big part of it.""
The Nets waived former first-round pick Dariq Whitehead and training-camp hopeful Drew Timme as Brooklyn finalized its 15-man regular-season roster. Whitehead, the 22nd overall pick in 2024, struggled to establish himself after an injury-plagued freshman year at Duke and limited on-court time, spending most of his rookie season with the Long Island Nets. He averaged 5.7 points on 44.6% 3-point shooting across 20 NBA appearances but never fully regained prior athleticism, leaving him low on the depth chart amid a crowded backcourt. He now becomes a low-risk reclamation candidate, possibly on a two-way deal.
Read at New York Daily News
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