The Washington Wizards have acquired forward Cam Whitmore in a trade from the Houston Rockets, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
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
The 20-year-old Whitmore is a Maryland native and was selected no. 20 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. Many mock drafts had him going in the top ten of that draft, but he slipped due to medical concerns and fell to the Rockets at no. 20.
The Wizards only parted ways with a pair of second round picks in the deal, a smart use of resources to take a chance on a good player in the wrong situation.
The Rockets have one of the deepest teams in the NBA and just signed Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela in free agency; they also just traded for Kevin Durant. They are all-in on winning now and did not have time to sit around and let Whitmore develop. Finding playing time on such a deep team would have also been a steep ask for such a raw player.
Some playing time was likely opened up in Washington recently when Jordan Poole was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. CJ McCollum, who came to the Wizards in that trade, is a similarly ball-dominant guard, but at 33 years old and entering the twilight of his career, he is likely to see decreased playing time.
This should open up playing time for Whitmore, a resource that has been increasingly scarce for the young forward through two years of his career. Whitmore played under 20 minutes a game as a rookie in 2023-24; that number dipped down to 16 minutes a game as a sophomore.
Whitmore has some serious kinks in his game to iron out, and he will have a valuable opportunity to do so for a Wizards team that projects to be terrible. He is not much of a passer at all, and he averages under an assist per game for his career. Whitmore even averages more turnovers per game than assists.
That being said, taking a flyer on a high-upside offensive player like Whitmore — especially considering the low cost to do so — is the type of smart move that has characterized the Wizards’ new front office.
Whitmore does not project as an All-Star level player, but he is a talented scorer who would be an incredibly effective microwave sixth man. Considering the Wizards had the worst offensive rating in the NBA last season, they need all the help they can get.