The Oklahoma City Thunder waived former first-round pick Dariq Whitehead on Saturday, just one day after signing the 22-year-old forward to an Exhibit 10 contract ahead of their 2026-27 regular season opener.

ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel reported the roster move Saturday via X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Today, the Thunder are waiving Whitehead,” Siegel reported.

The decision comes after Siegel initially reported Friday that Oklahoma City had signed the former Brooklyn Nets forward.

“The OKC Thunder have signed former Nets first-round pick Dariq Whitehead to an E10 contract,” Siegel reported.

Whitehead, the No. 22 overall selection in the 2023 NBA Draft, spent last season with the Memphis Grizzlies. He appeared in six games, including two starts, averaging 16.3 points, four rebounds and 1.5 assists across 30.5 minutes per contest.

The former Duke standout shot 39.8% from the field and 31.7% from 3-point range during his limited appearances with Memphis.

Article Continues Below

Whitehead's brief stint with Oklahoma City ends before he could make his regular-season debut with the franchise. His Exhibit 10 agreement provided the Thunder with additional roster flexibility entering the season.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma City will open its 2026-27 campaign Tuesday, Oct. 20, against the San Antonio Spurs at 9:30 p.m. ET.

The matchup marks a rematch of last season's Western Conference Finals, when San Antonio eliminated the Thunder in seven games to end their championship defense.