Dariq Whitehead Had Foot Surgery Ahead of 2023 NBA Draft; On Track for Training Camp

Dariq Whitehead, a potential first-round pick in the 2023 NBA draft, is recovering from another surgery on his right foot that caused him problems during his only season at Duke.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Whitehead had the procedure done this week at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

Dr. Martin O'Malley, who performed the operation, told Wojnarowski it was a "revision operation with bone grafting for a fifth metatarsal Jones fracture" and Whitehead should be ready for "full participation" when training camp begins.

It had been known for some time Whitehead was going to have a second surgery, but it was unclear when it was going to happen.

Whitehead's representatives at Excel Sports Management told Wojnarowski on May 5 that the 18-year-old needed to have another procedure because his foot didn't heal properly from the first one.

The expectation at that point was Whitehead would be fully recovered for the start of the regular season.

Whitehead originally fractured a bone in his right foot during Duke's team workout on Aug. 29. Head coach Jon Scheyer announced the following day Whitehead's surgery was successful.

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman ranked Whitehead as the No. 16 overall prospect in the 2023 draft ahead of the combine in mid-May. He projected the New Jersey native to be selected 21st overall by the Brooklyn Nets in his most recent mock draft:

"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."

A 5-star recruit coming out of Montverde Academy, Whitehead committed to the Blue Devils in August 2021. He was the highest-ranked prospect (No. 2 overall) from Duke's 2022 recruiting class that featured four 5-star players, per 247Sports.

Whitehead sat out Duke's first three games of the season recovering from the surgery. He appeared in 28 games and averaged 8.3 points per contest.

Given the pedigree Whitehead had coming out of high school and how the foot injury might have limited him last season, he could end up being a draft-day steal as long as teams feel confident about his recovery from a second surgery.