The Houston Rockets shook the NBA landscape this offseason by swinging a blockbuster trade to acquire Kevin Durant, putting them at the forefront of championship contention. However, they also made another trade that isn’t exactly getting rave reviews.
A couple of weeks after landing Durant, the Rockets sent forward Cam Whitmore to the New Orleans Pelicans in a three-team deal that resulted in Houston receiving a couple of second-round draft picks, one of which won’t even manifest until 2029.
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Not exactly an enviable return.
Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale absolutely hates the trade, dubbing it one of the worst moves of the NBA offseason.
“Cam Whitmore saw his role diminish as a sophomore and had no conceivable path to more playing time next season,” Favale wrote. “His trade value this time next year likely would have been lower. Understanding and defending the Rockets’ process doesn’t change the potential long-term optics. Whitmore has real multi-level scoring ability.”
Whitmore averaged 9.4 points and three rebounds over 16.2 minutes per game on 44.4/35.5/75.0 shooting splits last year. That followed a rookie campaign in which he logged 12.3 points and 3.8 rebounds across 18.7 minutes a night while shooting 45.4 percent from the floor, 35.9 percent from three-point range and 67.9 percent from the free-throw line.
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Still just 21 years old, Whitmore is oozing with potential and could absolutely serve as a crucial piece in any team’s rebuild. But that’s just it: the Rockets aren’t rebuilding anymore, and Whitmore’s role would have been especially muddied with Durant now in the fold.
Suddenly, Houston is a legitimate title contender, even in the stacked Western Conference. Unfortunately, Whitmore just wouldn’t have fit. Not only did the Rockets acquire Durant, but they also brought in Dorian Finney-Smith, indicating that the team is moving more toward veterans rather than developmental talents.
We’ll see if Whitmore makes Houston regret this trade, much like Favale anticipates.
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