The Washington Wizards traded Cam Whitmore to the Cavaliers in mid-August, and after Cleveland waived him (and didn't re-sign him), the Denver Nuggets signed the former first-round pick to a two-way contract. Young, athletic wings are in demand in the NBA, especially in Denver after the team parted ways with Peyton Watson.
It was a low-risk move for the Nuggets. At best, Whitmore can reach his potential in Denver, but at worst, he won't, and cutting ties with him wouldn't hurt.
So far, though, he's been one of the Nuggets' most popular players from training camp through the start of preseason. In Denver's win over Utah on Tuesday, Whitmore finished with 14 points (4-of-7 shooting) in 15 minutes, showcasing his scoring abilities and, of course, his athleticism as he flew through the air for a two-handed slam.
THROW IT DOWN, CAM 💥 pic.twitter.com/J0N95wGvwq
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) October 7, 2026
Cam Whitmore looks like a new player with Nuggets
On Thursday, David Adelman agreed that Whitmore has a "new life" in Denver and pointed out that, at only 22, he's still learning and growing. The head coach continued to compliment what the Nuggets have seen from the wing so far, specifically highlighting Whitmore's attitude.
One reason Whitmore fell out of Washington's rotation in early December was that, as Brian Keefe said, he wasn't meeting "certain standards," meaning Cam wasn't playing team basketball. He didn't get a chance to redeem himself after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis at the end of the month, which ended his season.
Rather than keeping him around to see what he could offer after his short stint on the court, the Wizards considered Whitmore expendable given their other talented wings. After that decision and Cleveland waiving him, he seems much more willing to take on a new role with the Nuggets.
Whitmore himself said that the first thing he thought about when stepping onto the court for Denver was playing defense. His effort on that end of the floor contributed to his falling out of Washington's rotation. He has to be a positive on that end to have a shot at staying with the Nuggets (or any other NBA team) long term, and he seems to understand that.
He was traded for the second time in as many years, and ended up on a team that didn't keep him around. That had to be a wake-up call for him, and now Whitmore can prove to a Nuggets squad trying to win another title with Nikola Jokić that he can help.
So far, so good.
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