Walking into a near-empty room with a small group of reporters, Dariq Whitehead refuses to look at his new basketball job as a demotion. He entered the 2025-26 G League Media Day with optimism.
Hopefully, Whitehead will enter a room filled with reporters and a few more cameras after a game within the next six months. That would be a pie-in-the-sky scenario for him. That’s at the top of his mind as he pens a new chapter to his basketball journey.
Injuries have halted Whitehead’s ambitions. The Brooklyn Nets added him with the No. 22 pick of the 2023 NBA draft. But two years later, he was waived with just 22 career games under his belt.
While the 21-year-old’s first NBA franchise has given up on him, he hopes the Oklahoma City Thunder can revitalize his career. They signed and then waived him during training camp to gain his G League rights. He will start the 2025-26 season on the OKC Blue, with the hopes of eventually joining the NBA champion.
“The way they develop their guys. They don’t see you for what you are. They see you for what you can be. I feel like that’s very big for me,” Whitehead said. “They’re not looking at me as a guy who came in injured. They’re looking at me as a guy who can be a big part of the team two years from now or whatever it might be.”
The Thunder will take a low-risk swing at Whitehead. If he can’t stay healthy, the cost is nearly nothing. But if he can stay healthy and produce, he could join a long list of successful OKC projects. Whitehead is excited for a fresh start after Brooklyn soured on him. He revealed this is where he wanted to go during the 2023 NBA draft process when he instantly clicked with Sam Presti.
“We just felt like it was the best situation for me. Not thinking now, I am only 21 years old. I am not thinking about right now, I am thinking two, three years down the road,” Whitehead said. “And we feel like this was the best situation for me to have a long and stable career.”
You could make a serious argument that the Thunder have fully utilized their G League affiliate the best. Both teams share the same home arena. Being in the same city makes assignments and recalls a seamless process. New head coach Daniel Dixon spent time on Mark Daigneault’s staff as an assistant.
The Thunder’s developmental reputation has resulted in gems like Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Ajay Mitchell. All three started their NBA careers as two-way players. Whitehead hopes to take that next step sometime this upcoming season.
“To see the GM and stuff actually here is cool for everyone to see. Not just me, that gives everybody a sense of hope, knowing that he is watching. Anybody’s time can be called soon,” Whitehead said. “Just got to stay ready and get 1% better each day and your time will come.”