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Cam Whitmore has agreed to join the Denver Nuggets on a two-way contract, giving the former 2023 first-round pick another chance to establish himself in the NBA ahead of the 2026/27 season.
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The 22-year-old forward has endured a turbulent offseason after moving from the Washington Wizards to the Cleveland Cavaliers before being waived by Cleveland less than two weeks later.
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Whitmore has averaged 10.5 points and 3.3 rebounds across 119 NBA games, while his athleticism and scoring ability remain some of the most notable parts of his game.
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The forward has already begun working out with Denver, where he will now compete for an opportunity alongside Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets ahead of the new campaign.
Whitmore gets another NBA lifeline
September 18, (THEWILL) – Cam Whitmore has landed another opportunity to revive his NBA career after agreeing to join the Denver Nuggets on a two-way contract.
The deal, reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania on Friday, September 18, gives the former first-round pick a fresh start after a chaotic offseason that saw him move from the Washington Wizards to the Cleveland Cavaliers before ultimately becoming a free agent.
Whitmore has already joined the Nuggets in Denver and begun working out with the team, according to reports, allowing him to immediately begin preparing for his fourth NBA season.
The move comes just three years after Whitmore was selected 20th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2023 NBA Draft.
At the time, the Villanova product entered the league with considerable expectations because of his physical profile, explosive athleticism and ability to create scoring opportunities. He showed flashes of that potential during his time in Houston, although consistency and opportunities have proved more difficult to come by as his career has progressed.
Across 119 NBA games, Whitmore has averaged 10.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per game, shooting around 45 percent from the field and 35 percent from three-point range.
A turbulent path since Houston
Whitmore spent his first two NBA seasons with the Rockets before moving to Washington.
His time with the Wizards was particularly disrupted during the 2025/26 campaign, when he appeared in only 21 games and averaged 9.2 points and 2.8 rebounds. His season was cut short after he was diagnosed with a venous condition in January.
The Wizards subsequently moved Whitmore to Cleveland as part of the multi-team deal that also involved Peyton Watson, Max Strus, Tre Mann and future draft compensation.
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Cleveland then waived Whitmore in late August, leaving the 22-year-old searching for another landing spot before Denver emerged as his next destination.
The sequence means Whitmore has now been associated with four NBA franchises despite having played regular-season basketball for only two of them.
Why Denver represents another chance
The two-way agreement provides Whitmore with a route back into an NBA rotation without immediately occupying one of Denver’s standard roster positions.
For the Nuggets, the move gives them an opportunity to evaluate a young player who still possesses the physical tools that made him a first-round selection three years ago.
Whitmore’s scoring ability and explosiveness could offer another dimension to Denver’s depth, particularly if he can develop greater consistency on both ends of the floor. The Nuggets will now have the opportunity to work with him during training camp and determine how he fits into their plans for the 2026/27 season.
His arrival also places him in a roster environment led by Nikola Jokic, as Denver continues to reshape its supporting cast around the three-time MVP.
The Nuggets had previously sent Peyton Watson to Cleveland in a five-team sign-and-trade during the offseason, with Denver receiving future draft compensation in the transaction.
Whitmore’s next challenge
For Whitmore, however, the immediate priority will be straightforward: turn another opportunity into sustained NBA involvement.
The 22-year-old has already shown that he can produce offensively when given meaningful minutes, but his career so far has been interrupted by injuries, limited playing time and multiple changes of scenery.
Denver now gives him another platform to rebuild his momentum.
Rather than being defined by his rapid fall from a first-round selection to a player searching for a roster spot, Whitmore will have the opportunity to establish himself again, this time with the Nuggets.
His two-way contract does not guarantee a major role, but it gives him a pathway back into the league’s regular rotation.
After a turbulent three seasons, Whitmore’s next chapter will begin in Denver, with the former No. 20 pick looking to show that the potential that made him a first-round selection has not disappeared.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
