Nuggets Have Rumored Interest in Recently-Released First Round Pick

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The Denver Nuggets, who now sit a little less than a month away from the start of their 2026-27 regular season, still have one traditional roster spot left up for grabs within their 15-man group.
Ever since the Nuggets decided to add DeMar DeRozan on a one-year deal to bring the total number of players onboard to 14, many have been speculating how Denver might decide to use their final roster spot to truly round out this group from top to bottom.
And in recent days, it appears that one particular former first-round pick is rumored to be on the Nuggets' radar to put a finishing touch on the roster: 2023's 20th-overall pick, Cam Whitmore.
Cam Whitmore Rumored to Be on Nuggets' Radar
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Nuggets have emerged as a "team to watch" for Whitmore following his recent release from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"The Nuggets, I'm told, have emerged as a team to watch in pursuit of Cam Whitmore," Stein wrote. "Whitmore, selected 20th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, was recently waived by Cleveland after the Cavaliers acquired him as part of the five-team megatrade that landed Peyton Watson in Northeast Ohio."
Whitmore has been up for grabs on the open market since the end of August. He was a moving piece involved in the Nuggets' mega-five team deal to end their long-winded Peyton Watson saga, and he now is on the hunt to find his third-ever team since being drafted three summers ago.
Whitmore played most recently with the Washington Wizards for the 2025-26 season, though dealt with blood clot issues throughout the year that limited him to just 21 total games played.
In those opportunities last season, Whitmore averaged 9.2 points and 2.8 rebounds on 45.6% shooting from the field. For his career, he's played in 119 games between the Wizards and Houston Rockets for an average of 10 points and three rebounds.

Whitmore has primarily made his mark in the league, and coming into the league in 2023, as a potent wing scorer. Though, in the three years he's been a pro, he hasn't exactly filled out into the high ceiling he was touted to have.
That's where the Nuggets could come in; a team who's lost a significant share of last year's bench firepower, especially in terms of scoring with losses like Watson and Tim Hardaway Jr., and might benefit from a low-risk, high-reward option like Whitmore to help keep them and their second unit afloat.
Whitmore, on paper, looks like an ideal candidate for any team to bring onboard via a one-year minimum deal, or even a training camp contract (similar to what the Nuggets have done with Lonnie Walker) to compete for a traditional roster spot.
If he's able to enter the season healthy and remain a solid bench scorer, the gamble might be a worthwhile one for the Nuggets to make. So before Denver gets back in the building for camp later this month, keep a close eye on Whimote and his chances to land in the Mile High.

Jared Koch is a sportswriter and editor covering the NFL and NBA for the On SI network since 2023.