Nets’ Dariq Whitehead Decision Puts 2022 Recruits in Shocking Spot

With Whitehead losing his spot on the Nets, it causes the 2022 high school recruiting class to take a notable hit just three years later.

Back in 2022, Whitehead was considered the second-best college recruit in the nation, according to ESPN. He was in the top five with Dereck Lively, Nick Smith, Dillon Mitchell, and Amari Bailey.

Lively remains the only player in the NBA with a standard deal at this time.

via @EnjoyBBall: Only one player from ESPN’s top five players in 2022 is on a standard NBA contract.

Whitehead attended Duke for just one season. In 28 games, he made 40 percent of his shots from the field, and knocked down 41 percent of his threes. He averaged 8.3 points per game, along with 2.4 rebounds.

When he declared for the 2023 NBA Draft, Whitehead was selected 22nd overall. During his rookie season, Whitehead made just 2 appearances on the court for the Nets, averaging 12 minutes of playing time.

In his sophomore season, Whitehead managed to see the court for 20 games, averaging 12.3 minutes of action. He made 40 percent of his shots from the field and hit on 44 percent of his threes to produce 5.7 points per game. Now, Whitehead will hit the open market in search of his next opportunity in the league.

Where Is the Rest of the Top 5?

Nick Smith attended Arkansas for a 17-game stint in 2022-2023. He produced 12.5 points per game, knocking down 33 percent of his threes. As the 27th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Smith joined the Charlotte Hornets. He spent the past two seasons with the Hornets, appearing in 111 games. He averaged 8.0 points, shooting just 39 percent from the field.

The Hornets cut ties with Smith this offseason. He bounced back and joined the Los Angeles Lakers, but on a two-way contract.

Amari Bailey was also drafted by the Hornets during the 2023 class. He ended up getting selected 41st overall. Mitchell had 10 appearances during the 2023-2024 season. Last season, Bailey played for the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League before getting traded to the Iowa Wolves. The 21-year-old guard remains in the G League circuit for the time being.

As for Dillon Mitchell, he’s the only player in the top 5 still in the NCAA. After playing two seasons at Texas, he took on a stint in Cincinnati. Once again, Mitchell entered the transfer portal and will play for St. John’s next season.

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