The Nuggets emerged as a possible contender for the free agent power forward Cam Whitmoreinforms Mark Stein of The Stein Line (Link to substack).
Whitmore was the 20th pick in the 2023 NBA draft traded last month from the Wizards to the Cavaliers, who refused his in a cost-cutting effort to complete changes to his roster ahead of the preseason.
Whitmore, 22, averaged 10.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game over 98 games (five starts) with the Rockets over his first two NBA seasons, posting a .449/.357/.707 slash line. Houston traded him to Washington during the 2025 offseason, and he appeared in 21 contests for the Wizards last season, averaging 9.2 ppg and 2.8 ppg on .456/.286/.742 shooting.
Whitmore’s third year in the NBA was cut short after he was diagnosed with a thrombus in the right shoulder. Wizards announced in mid-January that he would be ruled out for the rest of the season. He expressed confidence in the village that it will be able to return to action and recover in 2026/27.
Denver currently has 14 players under standard contracts, so technically there is room on the team’s 15-man regular season roster. However, it’s unclear whether the Nuggets plan to field a full 15-man roster given how far into the luxury tax zone they operate. Even another increase in the minimum wage would cost the team exponentially larger tax penalties.
If the Nuggets are willing to switch to a 15th man, Whitmore could potentially challenge the veteran guard Lonnie Walker IV for this place. He also has one season of two-way eligibility remaining, and Denver currently has a two-way slot open KJ Simpson and Bryce Hopkins.
Whitmore will receive a fully guaranteed salary of $5.46 million through the 2026/27 season from the Cavaliers, so finding the best possible fit for his skill set before trying to maximize his salary may be a priority in the short term. If that’s the case, he might be willing to sign a two-way contract with Denver or another team in hopes of playing a rotation role and earning an upgrade to a standard contract later in the season.
