The Nets waived former first-round pick Dariq Whitehead and training-camp hopeful Drew Timme on Monday as Brooklyn’s 15-man regular-season roster continues to take shape.
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.
Once a blue-chip prospect, Whitehead’s time in Brooklyn was derailed by a string of untimely injuries that stalled his development during a critical stage of his career. He now becomes an intriguing reclamation option for a contender willing to take a low-risk chance on his upside with a two-way contract.
“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.”
Timme signed a multi-year deal with the Nets in March. He appeared in nine games during the 2024–25 season, including two starts, and averaged 12.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 28.2 minutes per game. The 25-year-old built momentum over the summer with a strong showing in Las Vegas, briefly strengthening his case for a roster spot.
With Whitehead and Timme waived, the Nets now have 16 players on standard contracts and sit $161K above the minimum salary floor, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Tyrese Martin and Jalen Wilson, both on non-guaranteed deals, are expected to compete for the final roster spot ahead of opening night.
