Instant Grade: Nuggets Sign Cam Whitmore to Two-Way Contract

The Denver Nuggets have brought former 2023 first round pick onto their 2026-27 roster.

Nov 3, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Washington forward Cam Whitmore (1) looks on during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Denver Nuggets have signed a former first round pick to their roster for the upcoming 2026-27 season.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Nuggets are signing fourth-year veteran wing Cam Whitmore to a two-way deal.

The Denver Nuggets are signing 2023 first-round pick Cam Whitmore on a two-way NBA deal, sources tell ESPN. Whitmore enters his fourth NBA season after averaging 10.5 points and 3.3 rebounds over 119 career games -- and has already joined the Nuggets for workouts in Denver. pic.twitter.com/WBhDfTIhOQ

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 18, 2026

Whitmore had previously been linked to a workout with the Nuggets in recent days as he had been lingering in free agency for around two weeks now.

Whitmore was a moving piece in the Nuggets' five-team trade to send Peyton Watson over to the Cleveland Cavaliers at the beginning of September. He went from the Washington Wizards roster over to Cleveland before he would inevitably be cut in the days following.

Now though, Whitmore is able to land back on his feet in Denver on a two-way deal; a bit different than the traditional contracts he's been used to during his three-year NBA career thus far, yet gives him an opportunity to get a second life in the league nonetheless.

What to Make of Nuggets' Cam Whitmore Signing

The Nuggets, who now sit a little over a month away from tipping off the regular season, have been due to fill a couple of roster spots before opening night: one of those being a traditional roster spot, and another being a two-way contract.

The Nuggets already have a couple of existing players signed under contract on a two-way deal: K.J. Simpson and second-round rookie Bryce Hopkins, allowing them to be activated from the G League for 45 NBA games throughout the year before having to be signed under a full contract.

And now, after today, Whitmore, the 20th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, is the one who's going to claim that third and final spot in a two-way slot. He's entering his fourth season in the NBA after spending time with the Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards.

Oct 25, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore (7) attempts to get control of the ball during the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Last season with the Wizards, Whitmore played in 21 games to average 9.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. His season was cut short due to a blood clot issue in his shoulder, but now upon his signing in Denver, he appears to be back on track to get on the floor once again.

But just how good is his new contract for the Nuggets? It's safe to say that this deal is pretty strong, all things considered.

This is a move that works extremely well for Denver for a couple of reasons.

For one, players like these are the exact types of acquisitions the front office needs to make while in their current financial situation on the second apron: cheap, low-risk, high-reward players who can use the opportunity on a competitive roster like Denver's to prove themselves for a bigger contract elsewhere down the line.

A two-way contract for a player who's as talented as Whitmore fits that mold quite well, and in the process, can fill some needs within Denver's bench, considering the Nuggets have lost multiple scorers from their second unit over the course of this offseason.

But a two-way contract also means that the Nuggets have flexibility to add one more player to their roster; someone who can be a veteran minimum addition to round out this roster entirely, potentially being a guard who can run the one when factoring in Denver's current needs further down their rotation.

If the Nuggets were ever going to add Whitmore to their roster, this was going to be the best route to make that signing look like a success. If he pans out as a real rotational player, he can be signed onto a traditional contract later in the season. If he doesn’t, Denver can cut him without much harm.

All in all, a big win here for the Nuggets that has the chance to look even better once the season arrives.

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