Dariq Whitehead to have second foot procedure, be ready for NBA season

After a preseason right foot surgery did not properly heal, Duke freshman forward Dariq Whitehead — a projected first-round pick in the June NBA Draft — will undergo a second foot procedure and is expected to be fully recovered for the start of the NBA’s regular season, his representatives at Excel Sports Management told ESPN on Friday.

Whitehead, who underwent a procedure on the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot in August, recently met with several foot specialists to determine that a second procedure is necessary to properly repair the injury, his agents said.

Whitehead is ranked No. 24 in ESPN Draft analyst Jonathan Givony’s most recent mock draft. He is expected to attend the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago this month to meet with teams. Whitehead turns 19 in August.

Whitehead was a McDonald’s All-American who entered Duke as a consensus Top 10 draft prospect. He played 28 games, averaging 8.3 points in 20.7 minutes after returning from the injury. He shot 43 percent on three-pointers.

A native of Newark, N.J., Whitehead played his prep ball at Montverde Academy in Florida.