Thunder sign former first-round pick

Four days after being waived by the Brooklyn Nets, former first-round pick Dariq Whitehead has signed with the Thunder, the team announced today.

A 6-foot-7 wing, Whitehead was a consensus five-star high school recruit who spent a single season at Duke in 2022-23. He was drafted 22nd overall by Brooklyn in 2023, but only played in 22 NBA games during his first two years in the league, averaging 5.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per contest.

A series of injuries has derailed Whitehead’s NBA career so far. After undergoing a pair of surgeries on his right foot before being drafted, he had another procedure in January 2024 to address a stress reaction in his left shin, ending his rookie season early.

The Nets opted to waive Whitehead this fall even though his $3.26M salary for the coming season was fully guaranteed. That money remained on Brooklyn’s cap after the 21-year-old cleared waivers earlier this week.

Whitehead’s new deal with the Thunder will likely be an Exhibit 10 contract, lining him up to receive a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he becomes an affiliate player for the Oklahoma City Blue and spends at least 60 days with OKC’s G League team.

The G League also figures to be the next stop for Cameron Brown, the forward who signed with the Thunder on Thursday. Brown was waived today to make room on the roster for Whitehead, according to the club.