Former Rockets forward gets honest about Kevin Durant's fit in Houston
A former Houston Rockets small forward has weighed in on 15-time All-Star power forward Kevin Durant's fit on his old team.
The two-time Finals MVP was flipped to Houston as part of a first-of-its-kind seven-team blockbuster deal earlier this summer. Durant's former club, the Phoenix Suns, traded Durant in exchange for the No. 10 pick in this past June's draft (used on Duke center Khaman Maluach), five second-rounders, former No. 2 pick Jalen Green, and All-Defensive Team swingman Dillon Brooks.
In a separate, later deal this summer, the Rockets sent out swingman Cam Whitmore to the Washington Wizards as part of a three-team deal with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Cam Whitmore Gets A Fresh Start At Home
The 6-foot-7 wing, who grew up in Severn, Maryland outside of Washington, D.C., will now be playing for the club he grew up idolizing.
The Wizards have been in a rebuilding phase for years, but under team president Michael Winger they have quietly been piecing together an intriguing roster.
Now, Whitmore will join a Washington club that includes center Alex Sarr, forward Bilal Coulibaly, guard Carlton "Bubb" Carrington, wings Kyshawn George and Corey Kispert, and combo guard AJ Johnson.
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Whitmore struggled to carve out a consistent rotation role on a 52-30 Rockets club aiming for postseason success. In 50 games (three starts), he averaged 9.3 points while slashing .443/.348/.743, 3.0 boards, 1.0 dimes and 0.6 swipes a night.
During a recent conversation with Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, Whitmore previewed Durant's future with Houston.
"I mean Kevin Durant's a fit but at the end of the day that calendar is marked when the day comes and so it's gonna be a good game!" Whitmore remarked about playing against his fellow D.C.-area native on his old team.
The Rockets also added 3-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith, rim-running center Clint Capela (a starter during the James Harden years, post-Dwight Howard), and shooting guard Josh Okogie, while also retaining free agents Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams, Jae'Sean Tate, Aaron Holiday and Jeff Green.
With this new arsenal, Houston figures to be one of the top contenders to dethrone the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference, along with frequent West Finals also-rans the Minnesota Timberwolves and the revamped Denver Nuggets.
A score-first guard when he was selected with the No. 20 pick out of Villanova in the 2023 draft, Whitmore reflected on how head coach Ime Udoka's emphasis on defense helped lift his play on that side of the ball.
"You can't get on the floor without defense," Whitmore said. "When I first arrived in the NBA I really didn't focus on that side of the floor but as time went on defense could make a big impact and you don't even have to score the ball. You can rebound and hustle back on defense and get deflections you know? Just the little stuff that helps the team win."
When asked about his goals for the Wizards in 2025-26, Whitmore indicated that he was hoping to return Washington to at least the semi-respectable range it enjoyed during the end of its Bradley Beal era, 2022-23. The team went 35-47 across each of its last two seasons with the three-time All-Star guard.
"I'm not gonna lie I'm really trying to win some games! I want to turn this whole organization around into a positive organization where fans will want to come to the games and fans will want to watch the Wizards play basketball but first we gotta win. Really my goal is to win 35 least 40 games at the max but the Eastern Conference is up for grabs and anybody can kind of get in but a Play-In wouldn't be too bad either."
MORE NEWS:Rockets named as top threat to NBA champions by controversial analyst
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