The Washington Wizards have dealt a blow to the Golden State Warriors hopes of creating a strong market for restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, having taken a notable swing on an alternative high-upside athletic forward on Saturday.
After emerging as a strong suitor for Kuminga in recent days according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, the Wizards have now made a move for Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore in a deal that gives the Houston Rockets two second-round picks.
The Wizards may be out of the Jonathan Kuminga stakes
As reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, Whitmore and his camp were keen to find a new home after two years with a now loaded Rockets team. After playing just five total minutes in the first-round series loss to the Warriors, Whitmore’s already questionable spot in the rotation was only made more difficult by the arrival of 2x Finals MVP Kevin Durant.
Whitmore has been a high-volume scorer in his limited NBA minutes so far, averaging 10.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 17.4 minutes over the last two seasons while shooting 44.9% from the floor and 35.7% from 3-point range.
After initially being projected as a top 10 pick, Golden State notably passed on Whitmore in the 2023 NBA Draft. The 6’7″ forward fell to 19 but the Warriors selected Brandin Podziemski, allowing Houston to swoop with the following selection.
It’s a high upside swing for a young Wizards team who can afford to take the chance, with two-second round picks a rather measly price to pay for someone who could explode and still harbors ambitions of becoming a star.
As a similarly athletic forward with clear scoring talent, Whitmore’s addition presumably ends Washington’s thought of targeting Kuminga. With a host of young players already on the roster, it’s unlikely that the Wizards will take a chance on Kuminga now given he’s asking for $25+ million per year and the Warriors want something significant back in a sign-and-trade.
The Sacramento Kings have been the other team strongly linked to Kuminga since the start of free agency, but it’s also clear that the pacific rival isn’t willing to meet the demands after offering a ridiculous package of Dario Saric, Devin Carter and two second-round picks.
Matt George of ABC10 in Sacramento reports on Saturday that “Kings GM Scott Perry is willing to walk away from the Kuminga trade instead of over-paying to get him.” It leaves the Warriors in an interesting position, with the very real potential that the former seventh overall pick still returns to the franchise for next season.
