Cam Whitmore’s path in Washington has gotten a lot harder after the Wizards brought Khris Middleton back into the mix.
The Wizards have spent the last few months completely remaking their roster, and the result is a team that looks nothing like the one fans in D.C. were watching a year ago. Will Dawkins has put together one of the more talented groups the franchise has had in a while, and Washington hasn’t stopped at the headline-grabbing additions of Trae Young, Anthony Davis and reigning No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa. The front office has kept working the edges, too.
That matters because the Wizards are trying to do two things at once: push toward a playoff run next season while still making development for their young core a priority. In that kind of setup, every roster spot gets squeezed. And for Whitmore, the squeeze is getting tighter.
Whitmore came to Washington looking for a reset, a chance to finally settle in and show why he was such a coveted first-round talent. The DMV native had moments early, but the rough edges never really disappeared. His on-court decision-making and other issues eventually landed him on the bench during a difficult stretch to open the season under head coach Brian Keefe.
Then came the blood-clotting issue that shut him down for the rest of the year after just 21 games.
Whitmore finished with averages of 9.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists while shooting 45.6% from the field and 28.6% from three. Those numbers don’t scream disaster, but they also didn’t separate him from the pack - and while he was out, other Wizards made their case.
AJ Dybantsa, Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly are already being treated like central pieces of the rotation going forward. On top of that, other young players took advantage of the extra minutes and pushed themselves ahead of Whitmore in the pecking order. Will Riley stood out in a big way, especially late in the regular season, and Tre Johnson’s scoring ability makes it tough to imagine him sitting for long.
Now Middleton is back, and his veteran presence is expected to matter off the bench as Washington tries to make that playoff push. With the roster crowded and the hierarchy becoming clearer, Whitmore looks like the odd man out.
At this point, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s traded soon, especially if the Wizards keep making moves.
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