The Washington Wizards made their first move since the start of free agency on Saturday by striking a deal with the Houston Rockets to acquire arguably the most intriguing young player available on the trade market in Cam Whitmore.
Not only does this deal cost little to nothing for the Wizards to roll the dice on this young talent, but this move alone could be the exact acquisition that teams look back on and wonder how Washington was able to land Whitmore for so cheap.
Whitmore entered the 2023 NBA Draft class as a projected lottery pick after a solid freshman season at Villanova. After injury concerns surrounding a previous foot injury for the athletic wing forced him to slide out of the lottery, the Rockets managed to land the 6-foot-7 playmaker at pick No. 20 in the backhalf of the first round.
At the time, it was a no-brainer move for the Rockets, who landed arguably a top five talent at pick No. 20 to add to their own rebuild.
Following his strong rookie campaign, averaging 12.3 points and 3.8 rebounds across 47 games with the Rockets, Whitmore seem poised to take a leap in his sophomore season this past year.
However, when the Rockets rebuild quickly accelerated and they found themselves in the race atop the Western Conference, Ime Udoka seemingly relied on other options which pushed Whitmore down in the rotation resulting in a decrease of minutes.
Still, Whitmore averaging 9.4 points in only 16.2 minutes per game.
Heading into the offseason, it was clear that Whitmore and his camp were seeking a fresh start and he'll now get that opportunity with the Wizards, who will have plenty of opportunities for the former first-rounder to take advantage of.
With an increased role, Whitmore will finally get the chance to prove how impactful he can be and if he's able to develop into the player he's shown flashes of being, he could become a pivotal piece in the Wizards rebuild.
For the cost of two second-round picks, this is the exact type of swing that not only the Wizards, but any rebuilding team with a need should take, especially when the player in return has high-upside in the position of need.
As general manager Will Dawkins continues to add to this Wizards roster, by the day Washington looks to be more of a sleeper in the Eastern Conference.
If not a sleeper, at least a team on the rise.