The Nets have released Dariq Whitehead and Drew Timme, the team announced on Monday (Twitter link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv).
Whitehead being cut is significant because his $3,262,560 salary for 2025/26 is fully guaranteed, meaning the Nets will now carry a dead-money cap hit. Assuming he clears waivers, Whitehead’s $5,366,912 team option for 2026/27 will be declined as part of the transaction.
A 6’7″ wing, Whitehead was a highly touted high school recruit who has dealt with several injuries over the past few years. Brooklyn selected Whitehead No. 22 overall in the 2023 draft after he spent one season at Duke, but the 21-year-old has only played in 22 NBA games over the past two seasons, averaging 5.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per contest.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, waiving Whitehead puts the Nets $16K above the NBA’s minimum salary floor. Brooklyn needed to move above that salary cap threshold by next Tuesday, Marks adds.
Timme, who had a decorated college career at Gonzaga, went undrafted in 2023 and spent most of the past two seasons in the G League. He was promoted to a two-year standard contract in late March after a strong ’24/25 regular season with the Nets’ affiliate team in Long Island.
The Nets picked up their $1,955,377 on Timme in late June, but his salary was fully non-guaranteed, so they won’t incur a cap hit by waiving him. The 25-year-old forward/center averaged 12.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 2.2 APG in nine games (28.2 MPG) with Brooklyn down the stretch last season. His shooting line was .441/.257/.625.
Since he only has one year of NBA experience, Timme could theoretically return to the Nets on a two-way deal if he goes unclaimed, notes Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter links). However, the team has yet to determine if Timme will get that final two-way spot, Lewis reports.
Waiving Whitehead and Timme likely means the Nets are deciding between Jalen Wilson and Tyrese Martin for their 15th standard roster spot. Wilson has a $88K partial guarantee which will increase to about $382K if he makes the regular season roster, while Martin’s contract is fully non-guaranteed.
Tyrese Martin has been the backup SG for Brooklyn (but on a Non-Guarantee, he should make the team with this news).
They are doing Whitehead a favor by waiving him ahead of the cutdown date, in that he might be able to latch on / get a Two-Way somewhere.
Timme was heading down this path once the Nets drafted Danny Wolf (and acquired Highsmith & Bufkin as salary dumps). They would likely look to keep him on a Two-Way if he clears Waivers.
NETS DEPTH CHART
PG: Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf, Kobe Bufkin, Tyson Etienne (TW)
SG: Cam Thomas, Tyrese Martin, Drake Powell (INJ)
SF: Terance Mann, Ziaire Williams, Egor Demin (INJ)
PF: Michael Porter Jr, Noah Clowney, Naywood Highsmith (INJ), E.J. Liddell (TW)
C: Nicholas Claxton, Day’Ron Sharpe, Danny Wolf
Zeng Fanbo is currently vying for the open Two-Way spot.
I can see the Nets parting ways with the 26-year old Etienne in favor of Timme.
Oh geez, I completely forgot Jalen Wilson.
Wilson is also non-guaranteed, so there’s still a roster competition going on. It does feel like the Nets would keep both players, but his path to minutes isn’t as clear as Martin’s is. Wilson lead the team in minutes last year, but Mann is likely to absorb most of those.
The next odd-man out could be either Kobe Bufkin (4.5M), or Haywood Highsmith 5.6M).
(Also I made a cute Haywood typo in the OP)
Man, what a roster… Must be the worst since the sixers during the process years
Timme hopefully to the Blazers and they can trade or waive either Rupert or Murray. Preferably trade either one of them to somebody for a second round pick.
Portland does have a Two-Way open, and Timme would be an attractive fit there.
Their Centers are Donovan Clingan, rookie Yang Hansen, and Duop Reath.
(With apologies to walking trade exception Robert Williams)
Timme definitely deserves a roster spot somewhere after what he showed with the Nets last year