Cleveland’s offseason shuffle may end with Cam Whitmore never suiting up for the Cavs at all.
Whitmore was one of three players the team picked up in trades this summer, but he was folded into the five-team deal finalized Wednesday. Tre Mann was also part of the transaction picture, though he was rerouted to the Washington Wizards in the deal that brought Peyton Watson to Cleveland last Friday and sent Dennis Schröder to the Charlotte Hornets. Now, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Cavs are expected to waive and stretch Whitmore.
That move would let Cleveland release Whitmore from his guaranteed deal and spread the remaining money over twice the years left on the contract, plus one more season. Since Whitmore only has one year remaining, the $5.46 million he was due this season would be stretched across three years. The result would be a cap hit of roughly $1.82 million per season.
For Cleveland, that matters. Whitmore would become a free agent, the Cavs would open up a roster spot, and the team would trim his 2026-27 cap number from about $5.5 million to $1.8 million. That would also leave Cleveland with $31.9 million in cap space.
That number is only part of the picture, though. The James Harden extension - which will happen sooner rather than later, not that the Cavs acquired Watson - will cut into that figure depending on Harden’s contract. Even so, waiving and stretching Whitmore gives Cleveland more room to maneuver than it otherwise would have had.
There’s also the apron wrinkle. Because Cleveland acquired Watson in a sign-and-trade, the team is hard-capped at the first apron and cannot go above $209,015,000 on its cap sheet at any point this season.
Right now, with 12 players under contract and Whitmore assumed to be waived and stretched, the Cavs’ team salary sits at $177,064,573. Two-way contracts do not count against cap space.
If Cleveland does clear that final roster spot, the options are open. Jonathan Kuminga is a long shot, but not impossible. More realistic names include DeMar DeRozan, Nicolas Batum, and Ziaire Williams, depending on what kind of price they’re asking.
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Cam Whitmore, brought in as part of the related multi-team trade, has already emerged as the name to watch in that equation. Chris Fedor of cleveland.com reported the Cavaliers have discussed waiving and stretching Whitmore to create enough room to stay under the salary cap apron, a stark reminder that roster-building in this phase is as much about subtraction as it is about talent. Whitmores limited role in his first three NBA seasons only adds to the uncertainty surrounding what Cleveland decides to do next. [Read more 🡒]