The Brooklyn Nets have the 21st overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft on June 22 and with that pick, Brooklyn could select a player who can make an impact for the team next season. Bleacher Report projects the Nets to take Duke’s Dariq Whitehead with the pick.
Whitehead, 18, played forward for the Blue Devils after coming into the 2022-23 season as a five-star recruit from Montverde Academy. Whitehead, 6’7″ and 220 pounds, played 28 games for Duke (seven starts) and averaged 8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. Whitehead is an interesting prospect to ponder given the fact that he has potential to contribute on both ends of the floor, but has seen his stock fall due to the issues that he’s having with his foot.
The native of Newark, NJ can bring more wing depth to the Nets despite the fact that Brooklyn has enough wings on the team already. However, assuming that the team can find trade partners for Dorian Finney-Smith and/or Royce O’Neale, Whitehead could be a part of next season’s rotation given his ability to shoot the ball (42.9% from three-point land). Here’s what Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman had to say about Whitehead:
“Whitehead will have a tough time rising up boards after another foot surgery that limits his workout opportunities. But a promising medical report could also help scouts re-picture the scoring wing at Montverde whose creation and shot-making development fueled top-five hype entering the season.”
Here’s a video breakdown of Whitehead’s talents by Adam Spinella:
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