Before the Nuggets made their flurry of moves at the start of free agency, the player they were reportedly engaged in trade talks about was Cam Whitmore, who has finally been dealt from the Rockets to the Wizards.
The Houston Rockets are trading Cam Whitmore to the Washington Wizards for two second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. The deal gives Whitmore a tremendous opportunity for an increased role as he turns 21 on Tuesday and returns to the DMV area. pic.twitter.com/8BaBsVxjN2
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 5, 2025
Whitmore was taken 20th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft out of Villanova after falling further than most projected. He wound up on a Houston team that was already loaded with young talent on the wing and wasn’t able to carve out a consistent role despite showing promising glimpses as a scorer.
After two seasons without much movement on that front, and with the Rockets acquiring Kevin Durant this offseason, it became clear that Whitmore was never going to get the opportunity he needed in Houston. Still just 20 years old and oozing with potential, Whitmore seemed like the perfect type of young talent for the Nuggets to swoop in and buy low on.
Nuggets’ moves during free agency eliminated need for Whitmore
But that was before free agency began and the Nuggets started wheeling and dealing. They shipped out starting small forward Michael Porter Jr., but brought in Cam Johnson, Bruce Brown, and Tim Hardaway Jr., who all play on the wing.
Those are three proven, veteran players who figure to be in the rotation from day one. The Nuggets also have young wing players in Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, and Julian Strawther, who all expect to factor into the rotation as well. The wing room has suddenly become quite crowded in Denver, and it’s no longer an attractive destination for a young wing to play and grow their game.
Wizards able to steal Whitmore for two 2nd-round picks
So, that’s where the Wizards entered the fray. A young, rebuilding team with plenty of available minutes and a dearth of draft picks, they swooped in and flipped two future 2nd-round picks to the Rockets in exchange for Whitmore.
Whitmore now gets an opportunity for a fresh start in Washington with a glut of teammates on the same timeline. The Wizards likely won’t be pushing for the playoffs this season, but they now have nine first-round picks from the past three drafts on the roster.
They are going to play a ton of young kids heavy minutes this season and hope to figure out who is a part of their core going forward as they try to build up to a contender. Whitmore is now added to that list and will get a chance to prove himself and earn minutes.
There’s a chance he thrives in this situation and becomes a building block for the Wizards, who may have just stumbled into an absolute steal.