The NBA offseason is off to the races with plenty of moves taking place already. The Houston Rockets have been one of the more active teams thus far and added to this by trading away Cam Whitmore to the Washington Wizards. Whitmore has had his name mentioned in trade rumors for quite some time and will now look to get on the right NBA track in Washington.
While this isn’t a trade to rock the outlook of the league, maximizing value and impact around the margins is crucial to building a sustainable contending roster. Both of these teams are viewing this trade in this light, even while they are on very different timelines. Here is a look at the trade grades for both teams and why this fits the rare win-win trade in the NBA.
Houston Rockets: B-
The Houston Rockets have one of the brightest young cores in the NBA and have leaped into the contending category. With players like Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, and Dorian Finney-Smith bringing similar characteristics on the floor, there was no clear path for Cam Whitmore to establish himself. After playing just 880 total minutes as a rookie, Whitmore logged 827 minutes last year.
Finding minutes for all this young talent is a difficult enough challenge. But it is impossible to pay everyone when their rookie contracts end. Whitmore is under contract for this season and holds a $5.5 million team option for next season. With no clear short-term role and the writing on the wall for why they likely would not be able to keep him in Houston, getting a pair of second-round picks provides some future flexibility.
Second-round picks have become increasingly valued in the NBA. Guaranteed contracts are only assigned to first-round picks, and the ability to add guys on more team-friendly deals in the second round can provide great value. Houston has done plenty to round out its roster already this offseason, but adding these picks to the collection of trade assets could prove valuable if they are still missing something when the team gets on the floor. Ime Udoka has a loaded roster that he will be forced to make some tough decisions on next season, but Whitmore would not have been a significant part of this in the first place.
You could critique that the Rockets should have gotten back more for the player they spent the 20th overall pick on in the 2023 draft. There surely were points where the Villanova product had a more active market, where the return could have been greater. But this offseason has changed the outlook for Houston with the addition of Durant, pushing them fully into the contending conversation. Following a 52-30 season in which the Rockets were eliminated by the Warriors in the opening round of the playoffs, the need for a go-to scorer was there, and Durant can still do this at among the highest levels in the league.
Houston holds the second-best odds of winning the NBA Championship next year on DraftKings Sportsbook at +700 odds. They also hold +450 odds of winning the Western Conference and +190 odds of qualifying for the Conference Finals.
Washington Wizards: A-
Stuck in the basement of the NBA for quite some time, it is time to view the Washington Wizards a bit differently. Will Dawkins was named the Wizards’ general manager in June of 2023, and there have been some notable changes in the organization’s approach since this time.
Washington has quietly collected its own young core with seven rotation players 21 years or younger. Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, AJ Johnson, and Kyshawn George have each shown some positive flashes, and Washington spent the sixth overall pick in the draft on Tre Johnson. Adding Cam Whitmore to this core is a low-risk and high-reward type that every organization in their situation should be targeting.
Whitmore likely has not played his best basketball at the NBA level yet and will have a clearer chance to earn minutes in Washington. Across his two seasons in the league thus far, Whitmore has averaged 10.8 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 35.7% from beyond the three-point arc in 17.4 minutes per game. Whitmore is a high-level athlete with an intriguing skill set, but still needs to refine his game and likely would have never gotten this chance in Houston.
There is a world where Whitmore never works out or fits in with the Wizards, but this is still great organizational practice by Washington. Buying low on a former first-rounder who has gotten squeezed for minutes is an opportunity for value that they were in a position to capitalize on. Now it is up to Whitmore to showcase what he can bring to the table and cement his place in the league moving forward.
Washington is moving in the right direction, but expectations should remain mild for next year. It enters this season tied for the worst odds of winning the NBA Finals on DraftKings Sportsbook at +100,000 odds.
