The Nuggets are taking a flier on Cam Whitmore, and for a player whose NBA future has already started to wobble, this is the kind of chance that can’t be wasted.
Denver is coming off a summer where money has dictated nearly everything. The franchise already pushed into the second apron after re-signing Spencer Jones to a two-year, $12 million deal, a move that left the Nuggets with a projected luxury tax penalty of $68 million, the highest in team history, according to SI’s Logan Struck. Even then, the roster still had two spots to fill.
That financial squeeze has limited Denver to smaller additions, and Whitmore fits that lane. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Nuggets are signing the 2023 first-round pick to a two-way NBA deal. Whitmore, Charania added, “enters his fourth NBA season after averaging 10.5 points and 3.3 rebounds over 119 career games -- and has already joined the Nuggets for workouts in Denver.”
The move comes after Whitmore was waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported, “The Cleveland Cavaliers have waived Cam Whitmore, league sources told hoopshype. Whitmore, the 20th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, has averaged 10.5 points on 45% from the field and 35% from 3-point range in 17.3 minutes during three NBA seasons with the Rockets and Wizards,”
Whitmore’s appeal is obvious enough. He can put the ball in the basket, and he’s the type of young scorer who can change the look of a bench unit in a hurry. But the defensive end remains the issue, and on a two-way contract, every minute will have to be earned.
Whitmore was on a $15 million rookie deal before he was waived, and now he’s landing in Denver with his career at a crossroads. For the Nuggets, it’s a low-risk swing. For Whitmore, it could be much bigger than that.
In Other News...
Cavaliers Could Soon Regret How Much Talent They Let Go
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De'Andre Hunter and Dennis Schroder are among the names to watch as they settle into new roles, while Darius Garland and Keon Ellis also factor into the broader discussion of what Cleveland gave up and what might still linger as a what-if. It is the kind of post-departure evaluation that can take time to fully settle, but if any of these players find a level elsewhere that Cleveland can no longer claim, the Cavaliers may end up looking back at this stretch a little differently. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Fans Face A Big Viewing Change Next Season
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DAZN will roll out several subscription options, giving fans different price points and feature sets, and local viewers will have some free games available as well as a free seven-day trial. For a fan base used to tuning in a certain way, the change brings both convenience and a few new decisions about how to watch, especially as the team shifts to a more modern streaming model. What remains to be seen is how smoothly that transition fits into the routines of the people who have followed the Cavs the same way for years. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Just Made A Front Office Move That Will Shape This Core
The Cavaliers are making a notable front office move around a core they believe is still very much in place, promoting Brandon Weems to general manager under president Koby Altman. Weems has spent the past decade in the organization, most recently serving as assistant GM, and the promotion gives Cleveland another familiar voice in a key decision-making chair as it looks to shape the next phase of the roster.
For a team trying to keep its footing in a constantly shifting Eastern Conference landscape, continuity in the front office can matter just as much as continuity on the court. Cleveland is planning to open next season with Harden, Mitchell, Watson, Mobley and Allen, and this kind of internal elevation suggests the Cavaliers want the people guiding those pieces to be as steady as the lineup itself. [Read more 🡒]