The Denver Nuggets made a low-risk, high-variance move this week by signing former first-round pick Cam Whitmore to a two-way contract, giving him one of the team’s three two-way spots for the 2026-27 roster.
It’s the kind of addition that can go two very different ways. Whitmore has the pedigree that made him a first-round pick, and that alone makes him worth a look. But he also arrives with baggage from prior stops with the Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards, and that history is exactly why this is a two-way deal instead of a fully guaranteed contract.
The upside is easy to see. Whitmore doesn’t need to force his way into a massive role to matter.
A spot somewhere in the Nuggets’ rotation, even if that means no higher than eighth, would already count as a win. DeMar DeRozan and Spencer Jones are expected to have larger second-unit roles, with DeRozan’s track record as a scorer and Jones’ defensive value giving them a head start.
Still, Whitmore could work his way into nightly minutes if everything clicks. He brings a shot-making and athletic profile Denver doesn’t really duplicate elsewhere on the roster, and if he can fit in without the ball and contribute offensively, there’s a path to 15 to 20 minutes a night.
The defensive bar doesn’t have to be sky-high. Whitmore only needs to be around league-average on that end, because Denver’s identity isn’t built around defense anyway, and that wasn’t the reason he was brought in.
What matters most is whether he can help the Nuggets’ second unit hold its own when players like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Peyton Watson aren’t on the floor. If Whitmore gives Denver a boost offensively, that’s the kind of production that could keep him in the lineup and, eventually, help him earn a traditional contract.
But the contract also gives Denver room to move on quickly. Because it’s a two-way deal, the Nuggets can cut ties without the kind of dead cap hit that comes with a fully guaranteed contract.
That makes the pressure real. Whitmore has to earn his way in, and a slow start could make Denver rethink the move before the season even begins.
If he can’t stay available, if the offense doesn’t show up, or if the defense becomes too much of a problem, the Nuggets could release him and look for a younger developmental option instead.
Even in that scenario, the gamble would still have made sense. A former first-round pick with Whitmore’s talent doesn’t usually come available on a two-way deal. But a worthwhile swing is not the same thing as a guaranteed hit.
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The defensive side of the ledger is where the conversation gets interesting. Brown and DeRozan both come with shaky numbers in that area, but the Nuggets appear willing to accept that risk if it means getting a cleaner scoring option who can create in more ways. For a team trying to keep its depth intact while staying dangerous, the question is whether the upgrade on one end is worth whatever small step back comes with the other. [Read more 🡒]