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Nets Daily: As expected, Brooklyn Nets have exercised the 2026-27 team option on Noah Clowney’s rookie contract. He’ll make $5.4M, a $2M raise. Nets waived the two other 2023 draft picks eligible for extensions: Dariq Whitehead and Kobe Bufkin. Nets list Clowney as a “forward/center.”
Michael Scotto: The Oklahoma City Thunder has signed Dariq Whitehead. In 20 games for the Brooklyn Nets last season, Whitehead averaged 5.7 points and 1.3 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game.
Bobby Marks: Brooklyn announced that they have waived former first round pick Dariq Whitehead and Drew Timme. Whitehead was a on a guaranteed $3.3M contract. The waivers now put Brooklyn $161K above the minimum salary floor. The Nets have to be at the floor (90% of the cap) by next Tuesday and trim the roster by 1 player.
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Last season was marred by a knee injury and saw little of his old explosiveness. Whitehead skipped summer league to work on his body and has done so, but now that needs to translate on the court, because he’s facing a numbers crunch at his position. “I can tell you he’s gotten better. 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. That’s a big part of it,” said Nets coach Jordi Fernández, who warned, “This training camp and preseason games are going to be important. And we want all of our players, not just Dariq, to try to take advantage of that.”
Erik Slater: Asked Jordi Fernandez what areas he is looking for Dariq Whitehead to grow during his NBA opportunities: “The young guys, it’s more about habits and learning how to be a pro and the day-to-day work ethic and knowing the schemes and knowing personnel and studying the game. It’s a process for him. He’s gotta buy into all these things... When he has these minutes, he has to take advantage of them... It’s not just about shooting threes. He can do that very well, but also it’s not getting lost on the weakside defensive, and so on and so forth. We’ll definitely watch film with him, encouraging him to be one percent better next game... We have this stretch of nine games where the process doesn’t stop, being positive doesn’t stop, working doesn’t stop."
Erik Slater: Cam Johnson (rest) and Day’Ron Sharpe (right knee sprain) are OUT tomorrow vs. Toronto. Dariq Whitehead is available.
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Erik Slater: Cam Johnson (rest) is OUT for Nets tomorrow at Indiana. Dariq Whitehead, Tosan Evbuomwan, and Tyson Etienne remain with Long Island. Everyone else is good to go.
The 6-foot-7 wing returned to the court Feb. 12, but made just five short cameos — until this past weekend. Maxwell Lewis got his chance, and aggressively seized it. “I was thinking, just catch and shoot, be ready. I’m so used to hesitating and putting the ball on the ground, just doing too much. And I felt like [keep it] short and simple, and I felt like I belong in the league. So it felt good to me,” Lewis said. “I just feel normal.” Lewis is out to prove he belongs. He’s younger than every Net other than Noah Clowney and Dariq Whitehead. He’s vying with young wings Jalen Wilson and Ziaire Williams, the latter a restricted free agent with a hefty qualifying offer of at least $7.98 million. Meanwhile, Lewis has team options of just $2.2 million and $2.4 million the next two years, with only $100,000 guaranteed for 2025-26.
Erik Slater: Asked Jordi Fernandez if Dariq Whitehead will join the Nets for NBA reps over the final 14 games of the season: "We want him to keep doing his job in Long Island... I believe they have six [games] left and if they win out, they have a chance [to make the playoffs]. So for us, winning is very, very important. Creating that culture, competing, and having a chance to play in the playoffs. It’s not just him, but it’s him Tyson, Tosan, and everybody else on that team. Because that’s our club, so we want those guys to do very well. It’s not about Dariq. It’s about us, it’s about the group, it’s about the team. If we do need bodies here, for sure, I’ll be happy to play him. He’s done a good job, he’s worked hard. Right now, what we’re trying to accomplish is bigger than just one player. We want that [playoff] push." pic.x.com/tI8fCmXyx8
