Cam Whitmore is going to get his chance.
Whitmore was frustrated in Houston with his lack of minutes. Part of that was that Whitmore was stuck in a logjam at the forward spot in Houston, and the addition this offseason of Kevin Durant and Dorian Finney-Smith was not going to help matters. Some around the league also said he struggled to break through because Ime Udoka was frustrated with Whitmore’s levels of effort and team play. It was time for both sides to move on.
The Wizards are willing to give him a chance. That’s why Houston has agreed to trade Whitmore to Washington in exchange for two second-round picks, a trade first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic and subsequently confirmed by other sources.
Whitmore, who turns 21 on July 8, is a very athletic 6’7″ forward who can play the three or the four, and that athleticism would lead to some big nights and jaw-dropping highlights.
However, the Rockets were a defense-first team, and Whitmore’s efforts on that end, along with his willingness to play team-first basketball, led Ime Udoka to limit his minutes.
The runway is open in Washington, but Whitmore has to prove himself. He fell to 20th in the 2023 draft, and now, after two seasons, the team that took him is ready to move on. The Wizards are trying to build a culture, a defense-first mindset and use his switchability on that end. The effort needs to be there every night. Whitmore will get his chance but he’s going to have to earn it.
For the Wizards, this is a good roll of the dice for a very low price.
For the Rockets, this is about the money — Houston is hard-capped at the first luxury tax apron (due to the Finney-Smith signing) and getting off Whitmore’s $3.5 million gets it below that line. The Rockets have one more roster spot to fill but can do so with a veteran minimum contract.
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