The Denver Nuggets have added another name to the mix for the 2026-27 season, and this one comes with upside.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Denver is signing wing Cam Whitmore to a two-way contract. Whitmore, a 2023 first-round pick, is entering his fourth NBA season and has already been working out with the Nuggets in Denver.
Whitmore had been tied to a Nuggets workout in recent days while he spent roughly two weeks on the free-agent market. His path to Denver has been a winding one, too.
He was part of the Nuggets’ five-team deal in early September that sent Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Whitmore moved from the Washington Wizards to Cleveland in that trade and was cut soon after.
Now he gets another shot, and Denver gets a low-risk swing on a player who still has room to grow. That matters for a team operating under the second apron, where cheap and flexible moves carry real weight.
The Nuggets also had a roster puzzle to solve before opening night. They needed to fill a traditional roster spot and another two-way opening, and Whitmore slides into the third and final two-way slot.
Denver already has K.J. Simpson and second-round rookie Bryce Hopkins on two-way deals, which allows those players to be activated from the G League for 45 NBA games before needing full contracts.
Whitmore, the 20th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has spent time with the Houston Rockets and the Washington Wizards. Last season in Washington, he appeared in 21 games and averaged 9.2 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 45.6% from the field. His year ended because of a blood clot issue in his shoulder.
The numbers from his career are part of the appeal here. In 119 games, Whitmore has averaged 10.5 points and 3.3 rebounds. That kind of production, paired with his age and draft pedigree, makes him exactly the sort of player Denver can afford to bet on in this spot.
For the Nuggets, the structure of the deal is the key. A two-way contract gives them a chance to evaluate Whitmore without major risk.
If he earns real minutes and looks like a rotation piece, Denver can bring him onto a standard deal later. If not, the team can move on without much damage.
It also keeps the door open for one more addition, since the Nuggets can still add a veteran minimum player to finish the roster, with a guard who can handle point guard duties standing out as a possible fit based on Denver’s current needs deeper in the rotation.
For now, Whitmore gets a second life in Denver, and the Nuggets get a flexible move that could pay off if he sticks.
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Cam Whitmore is heading to Denver on a one-year two-way deal, giving the Nuggets a low-cost swing on a former first-round talent with plenty left to prove. The 20th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, Whitmore had been moved from Washington to Cleveland before being waived by the Cavaliers, and now gets a fresh start with a team that is always looking for value around the edges of the roster.
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