Houston Rockets
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The Houston Rockets’ season is long over, but they’ve been spending part of their time on the phones, taking trade calls from other teams. Some of those discussions have come from the Phoenix Suns, who are trying to move on from Kevin Durant, but not all of them.
Other teams, according to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, have been trying to trade for Houston’s first-round selection from 2023, Cam Whitmore. A “handful of teams” have already reached out, and the Rockets may be open to moving on from the soon-to-be 21-year-old who has yet to establish a role in coach Ime Udoka’s rotation.
“A handful of teams have inquired about the availability of sparingly-used wing Cam Whitmore, league and team sources said. Since being drafted with the No. 20 pick in 2023, Whitmore has struggled to entrench himself in Udoka’s tight rotation and at times has expressed his displeasure at the end of the bench, but there is still optimism about his potential and rotation spot — having shown strong periods of play over the last two seasons. At this stage, neither Whitmore nor his representation has requested a trade and both sides are hopeful of finding a solution.”
The Athletic’s Kelly Iko on Cam Whitmore trade interest
Whitmore saw action in 47 games as a rookie and 51 this past year. He’s started a total of five games since arriving as the 20th overall pick two years ago. Uniquely enough, he saw his minutes decrease from 18.7 MPG down to 16.2 this year, another indication that he’s moving in the wrong direction with Houston.
What would it take for the Rockets to move on from Whitmore? That remains to be seen. Can they still get a first-round pick in exchange for him? Or would the Rockets simply try including him as part of a bigger trade for a star player?
Related: Phoenix Suns aggressively trying to trade Kevin Durant to Houston Rockets