Mar 3, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore (7) goes up for a dunk against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

New Forward Should Give Wizards Bench Needed Spark

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Bryson Akins | Last updated Aug 17, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Washington Wizards made some moves this offseason, like trading for CJ McCollum, who will ultimately be traded before the deadline. The most under-the-radar move Will Dawkins made, though, was trading for Cam Whitmore of the Houston Rockets. Whitmore may not be a star player or franchise-altering move, but this should provide some much-needed depth off the bench as we take a look at his expectations for the 2025-2026 season.

In his rookie year with the Rockets, Whitmore averaged 12.3 points per game on 35.9 percent shooting from distance. In his second season, he saw his minutes per game go from 18.7 to 16.2. This led to his points per game going down to single digits at 9.4 on 35.5 percent shooting from behind the arc. His total attempts went down, which led to a minor drop in field goal percentage.

Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

If Whitmore can replicate these numbers, and he can, he will cement himself as a staple for this bench unit in the future. Ultimately, he is fighting Bilal Coulibaly for a long-term spot on this Wizards team. Coulibaly is in a do-or-die season, and if he does not live up to expectations, then Whitmore will replace him.

The only actual downside to Whitmore's game is the average and at times below-average defense. He averaged only 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks per game in Houston. His defensive rating, albeit a stat reliant on your teammates, was 111.1 last season. This is a clear area he has to improve upon, especially considering the Wizards have no lockdown defenders at the moment. The Summer League showed that Watkins and Sarr can be the defensive anchors, but the squad also needs competent defenders around them who are slightly above average.

This now leads us to Whitmore's averages and expectations for the season. For Whitmore, I have him averaging 10 points on 45 percent shooting, four rebounds, 1.5 assists and a steal per game.

The team needs a consistent double-digit scorer off the bench. This could easily be AJ Johnson as well, but Whitmore can easily give Washington 10 points off the bench. Then the rebounding is nothing special, give the team some help in that department. I do expect his steals to increase, as this area of his game should be a point of emphasis. His shooting percentages should remain the same, though, as I do not see him attempting more shots than he did last season in Houston. Overall, fans should expect an excellent season from the new forward.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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