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Rockets Trade Promising First Round Pick To Eastern Conference

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Quenton S Albertie | Last updated Jul 5, 2025 4:46 PM ET

After spending the first two seasons of his career with the Houston Rockets, 2023 No. 20 pick Cam Whitmore has been traded to the Washington Wizards for a pair of second-round picks, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Rockets Trade Promising Cam Whitmore To Wizards

For Whitmore, the move will be akin to a homecoming. The 20-year-old is a Maryland native, born in Odenton and a star player at Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn. Thus, the he’s quite familiar with the tri-state (Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia) area that’s colloquially known as the DMV. In fact, the Wizards arena is less than an hour away from Whitmore’s former high school.

The Houston Rockets are trading Cam Whitmore to the Washington Wizards for two second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. The deal gives Whitmore a tremendous opportunity for an increased role as he turns 21 on Tuesday and returns to the DMV area. pic.twitter.com/8BaBsVxjN2

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 5, 2025

However, while the sentimental aspect of the trade is interesting, that’s obviously not why Washington made the move for him.

What Can Whitmore Provide?

Despite facing a minutes crunch in Houston, Whitmore is a promising and athletic scoring wing. In 98 career games, he’s averaged 10.8 points per contest, shooting 44.9 percent from the floor (34.9 percent from 3). He’s particularly effective when attacking the rim, both due to his physical tools and limitations as a jump shooter.

As the Wizards averaged 108.0 points per game (27th in the NBA) and posted a 106.8 offensive rating (30th in the NBA), Whitmore could truly help them at that end of the court.

With that being said, to both parties’ benefit, Washington is a rebuilding team. For starters, this means that they’re more likely to invest significantly in Whitmore’s development. Just consider, he’s not even old enough to legally buy alcohol yet. Because the Wizards have plenty of young legs, they also like to get out in transition, where Whitmore should thrive.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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