Kelly Iko speaks… we listen. But should the Rockets be entertaining trading Whitmore?
According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, one of the Houston Rockets promising young talents is garnering interest around the league.
A handful of teams have inquired about the availability of sparingly used wing Cam Whitmore, league and team sources said. Since being drafted with the No. 20 pick in 2023, Whitmore has struggled to entrench himself in Udoka’s tight rotation and at times has expressed his displeasure at the end of the bench, but there is still optimism about his potential and rotation spot — having shown strong periods of play over the last two seasons. At this stage, neither Whitmore nor his representation has requested a trade and both sides are hopeful of finding a solution.
Given the flashes that he has shown of what his full potential could be over the last two seasons, this news shouldn’t be surprising. When you add the fact that since the Rockets have re-entered the realm of relevance, most of the league and those who cover it are determined that the team must make a move in order to become true contenders. There have been dozens of trade scenarios that include everyone on the roster, including their only all-star at the age of 22, Alperen Sengun.
Trades scenarios and rumors about Cam Whitmore make sense, however, for all the reasons that Iko highlighted in the quote above. Cam didn’t crack the rotation very much at all, and when he did it was because of injury. After a rocky start to the 2024-2025 season, a brief stint in the G-League seemed to infuse him with confidence upon his return, and Rockets fans again saw those flashes of offensive brilliance coupled with his immense athleticism. Upon his return, he averaged 10 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1 assist per game in 17.4 minutes per game in 25 games played.
However, as Rockets fans know, it was not all sunshine and rainbows. Cam Whitmore may have the worst poker face in the NBA. His frustrations were very evident by his body language and cryptic answers to reporters when pressed about his lack of playing time. Somehow, he seemed perplexed at what he needed to do to earn more time and the floor, and his head coach was perplexed at Whitmore for being perplexed. All in all, it became evident as the season went on that Whitmore’s role on this team, for this season, was not essential to the immediate goal of winning.
That by no means is to say his role will never be essential to the team’s goal of winning. While I expect them to do their due diligence on any interest in Whitmore, I have to imagine the best-case scenario for them is that he meets the expectations of his coach and forces them to insert him into the rotation, and that he becomes an essential part of them winning games. If you believe Kelly Iko’s sources, then that is the hope of Whitmore and his camp as well. If you have read my material here on TDS, you know where I stand. Continuity. Let these young kids cook before you try and stick fork in them.