Despite not winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy, the Houston Rockets have plenty to be proud of as far as the 2024-25 NBA campaign is concerned. The Rockets continued to thrive under head coach Ime Udoka, improving to a 52-won performance that's left fans feeling optimistic about the future in Houston.
June has already passed its midway point, and the Rockets are already taking care of offseason business. Beloved veteran center Steven Adams was re-signed to a three-year contract over the weekend, and it wouldn't be surprising if Houston has a trade or two up its sleeve with the 2025 NBA draft being just over a week away.
Rockets' Cam Whitmore Will Be Luck to Not Be Traded Before July
Cam Whitmore is likely at the top of the list when it comes to potential Rockets trade pieces. The former Villanova product is set to carry a $3.5 million cap hit next season followed by a 2026-27 club option worth $5.4 million, making him the ideal piece that can be thrown in as a sweetener for a bigger trade.
So, why would Houston want to trade the former 2023 20th overall selection?
Even though he's only 20 years old and could still have a lengthy career ahead of them, it isn't a secret that Whitmore's performance declined last season.
As injuries limited him to 51 appearances, the Odenton, MD native saw his points average drop from 12.3 to 9.3. His 44.4% field-goal and 35.5% three-point percentages were noticeable drop-offs from last year's already unimpressive averages of 45.4% and 35.9%, respectively. That's without mentioning how he played less than six minutes spread across three playoff outings, illustrating that he isn't a big part of Udoka's plans.
Whitmore needs a fresh start to prove he can be a healthy and consistent contributor, and the potential of that is already drawing attention. On June 3, The Athletic's Kelly Iko reported that "a handful of teams have inquired about the availability of sparingly-used wing."
Iko made it clear that an official trade request hasn't been made; however, "both sides are hopeful of finding a solution," which sounds like the potential for a deal could be explored.
Whether it's to move up in the 2025 draft or to add a proven contributor, it's clear Whitmore is in danger of being traded this offseason. Even if, by some miracle, he survives June in Houston, there's a good chance potential moves could be explored throughout the summer.