Plenty of teams around the NBA have been quite busy during the early offseason, and the Houston Rockets aren't an exception. General manager Rafael Stone has been wheeling and dealing throughout the last few weeks, trading for former NBA MVP Kevin Durant while signing free agents Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela in an effort to bolster the Rockets' championship odds.
The Rockets have also said goodbye to several players this summer, including 20-year-old wing Cam Whitmore. The former 2023 20th-overall selection was traded to the Washington Wizards on Saturday, resulting in a pair of future second-rounders being sent back to Houston.
Although Whitmore's time with the Rockets didn't amount to much, it's still surprising whenever a player is traded before their 21st birthday. Interestingly enough, it didn't take the ex-Houston draft pick long to comment on the recent deal.
Former Rockets Wing Cam Whitmore Makes 1st Comments Since Trade to Wizards
On Monday afternoon, Whitmore hopped on X to make his first post-trade comments. The former Rockets wing posted an old photo of him getting an autograph from former Wizards big man Marcin Gortat, hinting that the move to Washington was a long time coming.
"DMV native for real," Whitmore wrote, alluding to his local ties to his new home. "It was written..."
For those unfamiliar with the term, 'DMV' refers to the metropolitan area of Washington, D.C., as well as parts of Virginia and Maryland. Whitmore was born in Odenton, MD, and attended high school less than 15 minutes away in Severn, hence why he was a Wizards fan growing up.
Needless to say, it'll be interesting to see if Whitmore's change in scenery will help him reach his potential. The former Villanova product has struggled to find that second gear to begin his NBA career, and is only averaging 10.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and .449/.357/.707 shooting splits in 98 games (5 starts) between the last two seasons.
The Rockets are shaping up to be legitimate NBA Championship contenders, whereas the Wizards look the complete opposite. Having said that, playing low-stakes basketball on a weaker Washington roster could give Whitmore the confidence he needs to reach the potential that Houston saw when he was drafted just over two years ago.
At the end of the day, the Rockets did right by Whitmore, even if some fans are sad to see him traded. He likely reached his ceiling in Houston, especially now that the roster is even more loaded following the early offseason moves, and joining the Wizards could be the best thing to happen to his career.
Until then, Rockets fans will eagerly await to see what the 2025-26 campaign has in store for Whitmore.