Sorry I’m a little late on this one, y’all. I was camping in the mountains with my daughter and was cut off from screens, internet, etc... I just got back this afternoon and saw this news. But as I’m sure most of you already know, the Houston Rockets traded Cam Whitmore to the Washington Wizards in exchange for two second-round picks.
Rockets trade Cam Whitmore to Wizards for two second-round picks
The Rockets grab a couple of second-round picks.
Moving Whitmore somewhere was in the scuttlebutt for a while now in offseason NBA rumors, and according to Shams, the Rockets worked with Whitmore’s management group over the last few weeks to find him a home, and they settled on the opportunity in Washington for Whitmore. He’s likely to compete for playing time right away, in addition to growing up close by in Maryland.
Whitmore was the 20th overall pick for the Rockets in the 2023 NBA Draft, which was thought to be a bit of a steal. He was projected by many to be a top five pick, but fell on draft day due to rumors of either an injury or some poor interviews.
Despite being one of the few Rockets with the chops to create his own shot, Whitmore had a hard time getting minutes under head coach Ime Udoka, with Whitmore sometimes appearing sulky, as well as giving some strange interviews to the press.
Udoka was looking for more defensive committment and team basketball from the young Whitmore (he’ll turn 20 in just a couple days), and it appears he didn’t quite have the maturity to handle a difficult situation with a demanding coach on a team with plenty of young depth competing for playing time. As it became more apparent that the Rockets were NBA Playoff contenders (and possible title contenders moving forward) Whitmore’s days became numbered in H-town.
Washington is a good place for Cam to grow and a place where his style might be a little more appropriate. And the Rockets, who just dealt five seconds to the Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant, get two in return to replenish the coffers a bit.
Whitmore finished his Rockets career averaging 10.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1 assist per game on 44.9 percent shooting from the field and 35.7 from deep.
We wish you well, Cam!
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