Inside The Rockets

Houston Rockets: Cam Whitmore Could Require a New Home

The Houston Rockets have not found ways to integrate second-year forward Cam Whitmore into the rotation despite key players being out, and it may be time to move on.
Amsal Madhani|
Oct 26, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore (7) shoots over San Antonio Spurs forward Zach Collins (23) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
Oct 26, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore (7) shoots over San Antonio Spurs forward Zach Collins (23) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets drafted Cam Whitmore with the No. 20 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, and despite showing flashes of scoring prowess as a rookie, the second-year forward has had trouble seeing the floor this season.

Whitmore has not played a minute of Rockets basketball since November 20, and continues to flip from the active roster to the G-League.

He has appeared in just eight games this season, and has only managed to play around 10 minutes a game with most of it being in garbage time. In those minutes, he's averaging 5.9 points per game on just 37.5% shooting and a whopping 4.8% from the three-point line.

It's safe to say, it has not been a good season for Whitmore, however, not all of this has been his fault.

Unfortunately for the second-year pro, he may have fallen victim to Houston becoming loaded at his position. Amen Thompson has continued to flourish in his role off the bench as the spark plug of the team, playing hard, intense defense and using his unique athleticism to outrun teams on the fast break, a lot of what Whitmore provided in his rookie year.

Tari Eason has also emerged as a key contributor off the bench for the Rockets this season, averaging 11.3 points on 47.6% shooting, and using his long arms to come away with 2.1 steals and a block per game.

With those two commanding heavy minutes in the rotation off the bench, there hasn't been a need to bring Whitmore into many games as Eason's and Thompson's play has led to winning basketball for Houston so far this season.

Even with Eason missing the last couple of games, Whitmore has yet to see the floor and it may be time to just move on from him.

Whitmore is still an uber-athletic forward with great length who can drop 20+ points on any night when given the opportunity.

He has a unique combination of size, speed and scoring talent that comes at a premium in the NBA today. Although he's in a shooting slump, he's proven to be able to knock down shots from beyond-the-arc, keeping defenses honest.

The second-year forward may just need a change of scenery in order to showcase his unique abilities and prove that his talent can lead to winning basketball.

The Rockets have been in multiple trade rumors already this season, mainly for superstars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker. If Houston were to pull the trigger and send a package for one of these players, Whtimore would be the perfect asset to add to a package and could flourish in a new system.

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Amsal Madhani
AMSAL MADHANI

Amsal is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor's in Journalism and a Minor in Business. He was born and raised in Houston, Texas and specializes in coverage of the Houston Rockets.

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