The Oklahoma City Thunder waived forward Dariq Whitehead on Saturday as the team trims its roster ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season.
Whitehead had signed an Exhibit-10 contract with the Thunder the previous day. The move is designed to secure his rights for the franchise’s G League affiliate.
Keith Smith of Spotrac reported the development.
“The Oklahoma City Thunder announced they have waived forward Dariq Whitehead. OKC had signed Whitehead to a camp deal. He’s headed for the OKC Blue in the G League.”
Teams routinely use short-term camp deals near the end of preseason to lock in developmental players. Whitehead is expected to rejoin the Oklahoma City Blue once the process is complete.
He spent most of the 2025-26 season with that club. Thunder PR noted that Whitehead appeared in 34 games with 11 starts for the Blue and averaged 11.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 23.3 minutes per game.
The 22-year-old forward was selected 22nd overall by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2023 NBA Draft after one season at Duke. He has appeared in the NBA across three seasons with the Nets and Memphis Grizzlies.
Limited opportunities and injuries have marked his early professional path. Whitehead finished last season on a 10-day contract with Memphis.
In six games for the Grizzlies, including two starts, he averaged 16.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 39.8 percent from the field. His minutes totaled 30.5 per contest during that stretch.
Whitehead posted a career-high 26 points in a loss to the Houston Rockets on April 12. That performance included 11-of-21 shooting from the field and four three-pointers.
The Thunder enter the new season as defending 2025 NBA champions after defeating the Indiana Pacers. They posted a 64-18 record in 2025-26 to finish with the best mark in the Western Conference.
Oklahoma City swept the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers in the first two rounds of the playoffs. The team then fell to the San Antonio Spurs in seven games in the Western Conference finals.
The Thunder open the regular season Tuesday night at the Spurs in a rematch of that series. The game tips at 9:30 p.m. Eastern at Frost Bank Center.
Oklahoma City closed preseason with a 116-89 loss to the Houston Rockets on Thursday. Roster adjustments remain common across the league as clubs finalize their 15-man opening-night lists.
Whitehead’s brief stay with the Thunder never included regular-season action. The Exhibit-10 structure often leads to a quick return to the G League for continued development.
The forward’s size at 6-foot-6 and shooting background remain the primary reasons organizations continue to monitor his progress. Consistent health and efficiency will likely determine whether he earns another NBA look.
