Days before the Oklahoma City Thunder unveils its championship banner on Opening Night, it added the Brooklyn Nets' first-round pick — Dariq Whitehead — to its roster. As the Nets finalized their roster for the upcoming season, they waived their 22nd pick in the 2023 draft. The Thunder inked him to a new deal.
The Thunder announced the signing on Friday. Whitehead, whose early career has been marred by injuries, pla
yed in only 22 games throughout a two-year span for the Nets. A recurring right foot fracture led to two surgeries as Dariq Whitehead spent most of his rookie season playing for the Long Island Nets — Brooklyn's G League affiliate.
He averaged 5.7 points on 40.6% shooting, including 44.6% from deep in 20 games for the Nets last season. Whitehead will most likely spend the majority of 2025-26 with the Thunder G League affiliate in the Oklahoma City Blue.
Oklahoma City Mayor declares Opening Night as ‘Thunder Day'
The Thunder will conclude its preseason slate of games at the Paycom Center when it hosts the Nuggets on Friday. Then, it will set the stage for a memorable night on Tuesday. It'll be a night no Thunder fan will ever forget as the franchise raises its first banners and the players receive their championship ring.
Ahead of the special night, Oklahoma City Mayor, David Holt, made an annoucement about October 21, being officially declared as “OKC Thunder Day” on his X, formerly Twitter.
“This coming Tuesday, our NBA Champion OKC Thunder return to the court. Before the game, a permanent championship banner will be unveiled at our arena and the players will receive their championship rings,” Holt said. “Other commemorations will be revealed around the city. It is the close of one chapter (that we will always celebrate) and the start of another.
“And so it is most appropriate that I do hereby proclaim Tuesday, October 21st, 2025 to be OKC THUNDER DAY in Oklahoma City and do encourage our residents to mark the occasion by wearing Thunder apparel, display Thunder flags and signage, show support on social media and otherwise commemorate our city’s first NBA Championship.”
The Thunder will host the Rockets on Opening Night on Tuesday.
