Cam Whitmore’s next stop still isn’t settled, but the pitch is simple: find the right team, get the right chance, and start climbing again.
The former first-round pick was fighting for a roster spot with the Washington Wizards before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland then waived him to clear room for James Harden.
As 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,”
That opening has sparked one possible landing spot: the Los Angeles Lakers. Fadeaway World’s Fran Leiva suggested Whitmore could be worth the swing if the Lakers can free up a roster spot.
“Of course, Los Angeles needs to open a roster spot first because they already have too many guaranteed players. But they need to make a move anyway, so if one spot becomes available, I would rather use it on a young player like Whitmore than another veteran.
And they don’t need to expect too much from him either. Whitmore doesn’t have to come in and become a starter.
Give him 15 or 20 minutes, let him compete with Knecht, Ziaire Williams, Thiero, and the other bench wings, and see if he can earn more,” Leiva wrote
There’s also another path for Los Angeles: a two-way deal. Whitmore remains eligible, and Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer said that option is still in play.
“He does have two-way eligibility, to my understanding," Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer said."I don't know if Cam Whitmore is necessarily open to a two-way contract, but he doesn't really have guaranteed roster spots to choose from. It might be something he has to consider at a certain point in time."
For the Lakers, that would be a low-risk bet on upside. For Whitmore, it would be another shot to show he can handle a defined scoring role and provide value next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Whitmore was on a $15 million rookie contract before being released by the Cavaliers, and the clock on his options is ticking. A team like the Lakers could offer the kind of runway he’s been searching for.
In Other News...
Lakers Roster Crunch Is Putting Serious Pressure On One Trade
The Lakers are in a familiar squeeze as the offseason winds down, with the team sitting one player over the roster limit for next season and still searching for a clean way to get back under it. Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt have both been part of the conversation in trade discussions, but Vanderbilt has been the tougher name to move because of his contract and the limited assets Los Angeles can attach to make a deal more appealing.
If the front office cannot find a trade, it may have to settle for a roster move to create room. For now, Vanderbilt remains the most complicated piece in the equation, and the Lakers could wind up keeping him on the roster while treating him as a trade option once the season starts and the market has a chance to shift. [Read more 🡒]
Former Lakers Guard Suddenly Linked To A Familiar Landing Spot
After reshaping the roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Miami Heat have kept their focus on the perimeter, adding Tim Hardaway Jr. and Klay Thompson on short-term deals as they try to stabilize the spacing around their new star. Even after those moves, there is still a familiar name in the background for a team that values continuity and guards who understand its system: Gabe Vincent, whose path has already taken him from Miami to the Lakers and then on to Atlanta.
Vincent is still a free agent, and his track record with the Heat makes him an obvious fit to watch as Miami keeps sorting through its backcourt options. For the Lakers, it is another reminder of how quickly the league can circle back on a former rotation piece, especially one with veteran experience and a proven comfort level in South Florida. His next opportunity has not arrived yet, but the possibility of a reunion is out there. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Trade Buzz Suddenly Involves A Lakers Need
Jonathan Kumingas decision to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves leaves the Lakers back where they started in one important area: still hunting for a power forward who can help stabilize the front line. The free-agent route is now off the table, so attention has shifted toward the trade market, where the Lakers are being linked by insiders to names that fit the roster need and the teams broader search for balance.
P.J. Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. have both surfaced as possible targets, which says plenty about where this thing may be headed. The Lakers need more than a body at the four, they need a player who can hold up defensively and fit cleanly alongside their core, and that kind of fit usually comes at the cost of patience and a willingness to keep exploring the market. [Read more 🡒]