Wizards' New Forward Deserves Major Role

Many people need fresh starts in life to begin their journey once more. Oftentimes, things don't always go the way we hoped, planned, and even expected them to go in life. When that is the case, a change of scenery can sometimes fix everything and change the narrative for you. In the NBA, we see many trades happen from time to time. We also see many players test the market in free agency as they prefer player options towards the end of their deals. This gives them leverage and flexibility to test the free agent market and have control of their futures. Things didn't go as planned for Cam Whitmore with the Houston Rockets. Now that the Washington Wizards have acquired him, we can expect a huge turnaround for him.

Cam Whitmore said that he "felt like I deserved to be on that floor every game" when he was in Houston with the Rockets, but admitted that his defense was not up to par. https://t.co/oThASRyQDP pic.twitter.com/XBnMbLX1AI
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) September 30, 2025

In a recent interview, Whitmore explained why things didn't go the way he hoped for with the Rockets, as he said, "Houston (Rockets) was in a win-now mode." Many teams in the NBA prefer to play veterans or players with a good amount of experience to heavy minutes. It's hard for young players to get comfortable in the league if they aren't given ample amount of playing time. One player of the Wizards who can relate to that is AJ Johnson. Head Coach Doc Rivers doesn't prefer to play young rookies many minutes. We saw what Johnson is capable of last season after the Wizards acquired him. That is why we can expect the Wizards to play Whitmore heavy minutes. One man's trash is another man's treasure.

Washington Wizards Cam Whitmore — Apr 9, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Houston Rockets guard Cam Whitmore (7) dribbles against the Los Angeles Clippers in the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

We all know Whitmore is what many consider to be a three-level scorer. His offense is something every team could use because he can do a little bit of everything on the offensive end. However, Whitmore acknowledged that he could have been a better defender with the Rockets when he said, " My time in Houston was very subtle. I had spurts of good things and bad things on the court, but I feel like I can improve defensively. I feel that my defense wasn't very up to par where it should be and what I'm capable of." It just so happens that the Wizards are indeed in need of capable defenders. Whitmore is a versatile player who can defend multiple positions when he is on his A-game. With a fresh start with the Wizards, he now has the chance to showcase what he is truly capable of. Receiving a good amount of playing time will certainly encourage him to give more effort defensively. With that being said, that is yet another reason why we can expect Whitmore to play heavy minutes for the Wizards.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!