Washington Wizards’ Deal for Cam Whitmore is the Latest Move to Turn Franchise Around

Cover photo: Cam Whitmore in 2023.

Photo credit: Ethan Miller, 2023 Getty Images

On Saturday afternoon, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Houston Rockets traded Cam Whitmore to the Washington Wizards for two second-round draft picks. Whitmore over his first two seasons has averaged 10.8 points per game, and per Charania, Whitmore In 2024-25 scored 0.46 points per touch, which was the fourth best among players with 1,000 touches. 

In forty-seven games as a rookie, Whitmore averaged 12.3 points on 45.4% shooting in 18.7 minutes per game (ten shots). In 2024-25, he in fifty-one games (16.2 minutes) averaged 9.4 points on 44.4% shooting (eight shots). The 6 foot, 7 inch, 232-pound forward was drafted 20th overall in the 2023 Draft and will turn 21 years old on July 8. On April 11, 2025, Whitmore scored 34 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. Whitmore was MVP of the 2023 NBA Summer League as he averaged 19.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

The Rockets, with Kevin Durant and Dorian Finney-Smith added this offseason, had and have depth for days, so Whitmore became expendable. Whitmore has a smooth jump shot and with his strong build can finish at the rim through contact. 

For the Wizards, the move continues a busy offseason that has seen them acquire CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk from the New Orleans Pelicans in a trade that sent Jordan Poole to New Orleans. The team also traded for veteran Khris Middleton in February, for Kyle Kuzma. With the sixth overall pick in June’s draft, the team drafted point guard Tre Johnson out of Texas. 

Washington has their young players under contract - a nucleus of 2024 second overall pick Alex Sarr (20 years old), Bub Carrington (19 years old), 2023 seventh overall pick Bilal Coulibaly (20 years old), Whitmore, and Tre Johnson are all players that are still in their infancy stages. 

The likes of McCollum, Middleton, Olynyk, and Marcus Smart will play major roles in the young nucleus’ development. 

The moves for the organization signal a cultural reset for a franchise that after five seasons at or above the .500 mark from 2013-14 through to 2017-18 has had seven consecutive losing seasons. The team is 33-131 over the last two seasons. 

But it cannot be overstated how important having the aforementioned veterans is for the young puppies. Rather than having to navigate situations by themselves and relying on one another who do not have experience, the young guys can lean on the veterans for advice - everything from on the court pointers to how to conduct yourself away from the floor. Veterans are a missing element to a lot of teams these days and having them for the young guys in Washington is an ideal situation. 

The Wizards have struggled mightily in recent years and for those years nothing was done to realign the crooked franchise. Now, there are veterans in tow to keep the organization on the right path. President of Basketball Operations Michael Winger and General Manager Will Dawkins have assembled an impressive group of young players that will grow and learn from their seasoned teammates. 

For the first time in a long time, things are looking up in D.C.