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Nets waive 2023 first-round pick amid roster crunch
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- Nets waive 2023 first-round pick amid roster crunch
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The post Nets waive 2023 first-round pick amid roster crunch appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Brooklyn Nets waived Dariq Whitehead and Drew Timme on Monday, the team announced. The pair of moves comes as the rebuilding squad works to trim its roster to 15 standard contracts ahead of its Oct. 22 regular season opener.
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Brooklyn selected Whitehead with the No. 22 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. However, the former five-star recruit was unable to regain his explosiveness following three lower leg surgeries. He appeared in 20 NBA games last season, averaging 5.7 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.6 assists on .406/.446/.600 shooting splits.
Waiving Whitehead, whose $3.3 million salary was fully guaranteed, brings the Nets closer to the minimum salary floor.
Timme joined the Nets' G League affiliate last year in a midseason trade. Following an impressive stretch in Long Island, Brooklyn signed him to a 10-day contract. He averaged 12.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists on 44.1 percent shooting over nine NBA appearances. His performance earned him a non-guaranteed, standard contract for 2025-26.
However, the Nets had Nic Claxton , Day'Ron Sharpe and rookie first-round pick Danny Wolf ahead of Timme in the center rotation. Brooklyn has one open two-way spot, which Timme is eligible to fill if he doesn't receive a better opportunity elsewhere.
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Who will win the battle for the Nets' final roster spot?
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After waiving Whitehead and Timme, the Nets have 16 players on standard contracts. Jalen Wilson and Tyrese Martin are on non-guaranteed contracts and appear to be battling for Brooklyn's final roster spot.
The Nets selected Wilson with the No. 51 pick in the 2023 draft. The 24-year-old appeared in 79 games with 22 starts last season, averaging 9.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 40/34/82 shooting splits. While he's limited athletically, Wilson has impressed with his motor throughout his first two seasons.
Martin has drawn rave reviews for his improvement this offseason, with Michael Porter Jr. calling him the most impressive player at Nets training camp. The 26-year-old joined the Nets last summer on an Exhibit 10 contract before earning a two-way deal at training camp. He impressed with his three-point shooting and secondary ball-handling across 60 appearances last season, averaging 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists on 41/35/79 shooting splits.
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Martin has backed up the offseason hype during his preseason appearances. The former second-round pick led the Nets to a comeback win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, scoring 11 points in eight fourth-quarter minutes.
Offseason trade acquisitions Kobe Bufkin and Haywood Highsmith are also on Brooklyn's roster bubble. Highsmith is recovering from knee surgery after joining the Nets alongside a second-round pick in a salary dump by the Miami Heat . However, the veteran wing said he plans to be ready for the start of the regular season. If he returns and performs well, he could have value at the trade deadline.
Meanwhile, Bufkin joined Brooklyn in a salary dump from the Atlanta Hawks . The No. 15 pick in the 2023 draft struggled to stay on the floor during his first two NBA seasons. However, the Nets were high on Bufkin entering the 2023 draft and did not receive a draft pick from Atlanta to absorb his salary.
NBA teams are required to cut their rosters down to 15 standard contracts by Oct. 20.
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