When Jordi Fernandez arrived for his introductory press conference Wednesday morning, Dariq Whitehead was there to greet him. The still 19-year-old has been cleared for court work and along with Cam Johnson he was putting up shots as TV crews were setting up and reporters gathered a few feet away.
Whitehead, a Newark, N.J. native, has had a tough time since he came out of Florida’s Montverde Academy in 2022 as a top, if not the top, NBA wing prospect.
He’s had three foot and leg surgeries (on both legs) since August 2022 when he went under the knife for a right root fracture.