Wizards 2025-26 Player Grades: Cam Whitmore

The Washington Wizards' newcomer didn't enjoy the season that some outsiders were excited for.

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 | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

With all of the positive signs of growth and upside that the young Washington Wizards emitted through this past regular season, it could be easy to forget that one of the past offseason's most exciting editions barely got a chance to spread his wings before brutally-poor luck pulled him back to earth. Cam Whitmore spent all of the 2025-portion of the schedule glued to the bench through no fault of his own, having been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder early into his campaign.

Blood clots are effectively season-ending for just about anyone tripped up by the anomaly, and they robbed Whitmore of any chance of rejuvenating his faltering career at a new, yet locally-familiar destination. Wizards On SI reporters Bryson Akins and Henry J. Brown didn't have much to go off of in analyzing what little he had to provide, but they gave it their best shot based off of what they did see.

"I feel bad for Whitmore and all the struggles he went through this season. He was traded to the Washington Wizards from the Houston Rockets over the summer, returning home to the DMV. It was a struggle for him to start the season; at times, it looked like Whitmore and head coach Brian Keefe would argue with each other, like it was all about effort on the court.

"Then, after a few games, he looked much better and made his case for becoming a key rotation player. Unfortunately, his season was cut short due to a blood clot. Thankfully, he had a successful surgery and has recovered well, but that blood clot ended his season. It was a real bummer as he was an exciting young player showing promise."

Dec 1, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Cam Whitmore (1) dunks the ball as Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. (5) looks on in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

"In a very few games, Whitmore averaged 9.2 points on 45.6 percent shooting from the field. He is an elite slasher and rim runner, but he needs to improve his three-point shooting, as he shot below 30 percent from beyond the arc. His defense could also be better, but his elite athleticism can fix that. I can't grade his season based on it being cut so short." - Bryson Akins

Bryson's Grade: Incomplete (if I had to give a grade, he would get a C+)

"Whitmore only suited up 21 times as a Wizard, but he gave outsiders one of this season's most memorable trajectories. After opting to get the rebuild started with Bilal Coulibaly ahead of the local blue-chipper in the 2023 NBA Draft, Washington General Manager Will Dawkins sounded excited about his trade to bring the Maryland-born prospect back home.

"Aside from a few fantastic flushes at the rim and occasional possession-saving tough jumpers, though, that preseason preview was where Whitmore's time as a Wizard peaked. He wasn't exactly known for his consistency as a two-year Rocket, and Brian Keefe shuffled the big wing all throughout Washington's rotation in making it clear that in order to dance with the ball in the open court, he'd need to come prepared on defense, too."

Oct 24, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) celebrates with Washington Wizards forward Cam Whitmore (1) during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

"The blood clots that prematurely foiled his homecoming made for one of the crueler twists of this Wizards season. He was never going to immediately slot perfectly into a new situation, losing out on this precious time for the D.C. coaching staff to mold the talented product into the player he could become.

"Not only did he have to spend 60+ games watching his friends and teammates develop without him; with the Wizards' midseason trade for Jaden Hardy, Whitmore can expect an uphill climb in clinching the role of that burly scorer with an erratic 3-ball when he's fully-cleared to return to the court, a much-needed niche that he failed to convincingly solidify during his brief, tragic and potentially-incomplete tenure." - Henry J. Brown

Henry's Grade: Incomplete, but C for what he left us with

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