The Nets waived power forward Drew Timme and guard Dariq Whitehead on Monday, easing their roster crunch and moving them close to their mandated cap.
This ended the gamble the Nets had made on local Newark native Whitehead, an injury-plagued prospect who just three years ago had been arguably the best schoolboy talent in the country.
It remains to be seen if this ended Timme’s time as Net, who was still eligible for their last open two-way spot.
Whitehead had a guaranteed deal of $3.3 million – which the Nets must pay – although Timme’s deal was not guaranteed.
According to ESPN Insider Bobby Marks, the Nets remain $161,000 above the minimum salary floor, although they now have 19 players and still need to get to 18 on Tuesday.
Timme had signed a multi-year contract with the Nets near the end of last season, averaging 12.1 points and 7.2 rebounds in nine games, and then backed that up with an impressive performance in the Las Vegas summer league.
But the deal wasn’t guaranteed and he was fired when Danny Wolf fell to the Nets at the end of the first round of June’s draft.
While Wolf doesn’t have Timme’s range of post moves, he is light years better as a passer and is four years younger.
However, the 25-year-old Timme could still be back, with one source calling it “undetermined” whether the Texan will land the final two-way spot for the Nets.
Despite being only 21, Whitehead’s prospects appear bleaker.
Originally seen as a viable gamble with the 22nd overall pick in 2023, Whitehead was never able to fully overcome a series of injuries and three surgeries: August 2022, June ’23 and January ’24.
He was on borrowed time that finally ran out on Monday.
A broken foot led to surgery on Whitehead’s right fifth metatarsal at Duke, and after it didn’t heal properly, he needed a second procedure with bone grafting.
Finally, a stress reaction in his left shin forced surgery to end his rookie campaign.
Whitehead skipped summer league to work on his body, but was never quite able to recapture the explosion that made him the top high school recruit out of Rivals’ Montverde Academy (Fla.).
After the Nets made three first-round picks on point guards and a fourth first-round pick on wing Drake Powell – a direct positional competitor – Whitehead finished his Nets career averaging 5.3 points in 22 games over two seasons.
The Nets still have to bring back 18 players – 15 standard deals and three two-way deals – and currently they have 17 standard deals and two two-way deals.
Jalen Wilson is partially guaranteed at $88,000, while Tyrese Martin is unguaranteed.
They are the logical choice for the final standard deal, with Fanbo Zeng on Exhibit 10.
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