Cam Whitmore On Nuggets’ Radar

The 20th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, Whitmore was traded last month from the Wizards to the Cavaliers, who waived him in a cost-cutting move in order to finalize their roster moves ahead of the preseason.

Whitmore, 22, averaged 10.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game over the course of 98 appearances (five starts) for the Rockets during his first two NBA seasons, posting a shooting line of .449/.357/.707. Houston traded him to Washington during the 2025 offseason and he saw action in 21 contests for the Wizards last season, averaging 9.2 PPG and 2.8 RPG on .456/.286/.742 shooting.

Whitmore’s third year in the NBA was cut short after he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right shoulder. The Wizards announced in mid-January that he would be sidelined for the rest of the season. He expressed confidence in the spring that he’d be able to return to action and bounce back in 2026/27.

Denver is currently carrying 14 players on standard contracts, so there’s technically an opening on the team’s projected 15-man regular season roster. However, it’s unclear whether the Nuggets plan to carry a full 15-man squad, given how far into luxury tax territory they’re operating. Even another minimum-salary addition would cost the team exponentially more in tax penalties.

If the Nuggets are open to rostering a 15th man, Whitmore could potentially challenge veteran guard Lonnie Walker IV for that spot. He also has one season of two-way eligibility remaining, and Denver currently has a two-way slot open alongside KJ Simpson and Bryce Hopkins.

Whitmore will receive his fully guaranteed $5.46MM salary for 2026/27 from the Cavaliers, so finding the best possible fit for his skill set may be a priority in the short term over trying to maximize his earnings. If that’s the case, perhaps he’ll be willing to sign a two-way contract with Denver or another team in the hopes of playing a rotation role and earning a promotion to a standard contract later in the season.