Cam Whitmore finds himself without a team less than a month before the start of training camp. According to Michael Scotto, Hoopshype reporter, the Cleveland Cavaliers have decided to part ways with him and apply the Stretch Provision to his contract, which will be spread over the next three years and will allow the Ohio club to ease its payroll slightly for this season.
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. pic.twitter.com/y4FZJjhbhK
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) August 28, 2026
Whitmore, the Wizards’ player, had been set to earn $5.4 million for the 2026-27 season, but will ultimately collect $1.8 million per year over the next three seasons. Now he will have the opportunity to sign with a new team and add a fresh salary to that amount, although it remains unclear whether there will be significant interest given how his three years in the league have unfolded.
Whitmore was selected 20th in the 2023 Draft with high expectations given his athletic attributes, and from the start there was talk of him as a potential steal. However, he never managed to secure a steady place in the Rockets’ rotation, who after two seasons decided to trade him to Washington to give him a chance to showcase his strengths in a less competitive environment. That opportunity did not materialize in the 21 games he played before a medical issue ended his season.
Thus, the capital club also lost faith in him and included him in the multi-team trade that sent Peyton Watson to Cleveland, where from the outset there were rumors that he would be released. Now, he will have to trust that some franchise will continue to believe that the talent we’ve seen in fits and starts can eventually take shape and make him a player to watch.
