Cam Whitmore‘s stay with the Cavaliers lasted all of eight days.
Cleveland has waived the 22-year-old forward, according to the NBA’s official transaction log, a move that had been expected since he arrived as part of the five-team trade that brought Peyton Watson to the Cavs.
Whitmore was always more financial piece than rotation piece in that deal.
The Cavaliers are expected to use the stretch provision on his $5.46 million salary, spreading it across three seasons and reducing his cap hit for 2026-27 to about $1.82 million.
That matters because Cleveland is still doing some salary-cap gymnastics before officially completing its three-year agreement with James Harden.
The Cavs reportedly explored whether they could trade Whitmore before Friday’s stretch deadline but ultimately found no deal.
Whitmore, the No. 20 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, spent his first two seasons with Houston before being traded to Washington last summer. His lone season with the Wizards ended early after doctors discovered a blood clot in his right shoulder.
He appeared in 21 games before being shut down. For his career, Whitmore has averaged 10.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 119 games, shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 34.9 percent on threes.
Assuming he clears waivers, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.
Meanwhile, the Cavs still aren’t quite finished putting the roster together. They’re expected to add another inexpensive player, with 2022 second-round pick Khalifa Diop among the possibilities.
Again, it’s mostly about making the numbers work for Harden. Whitmore just happened to spend eight days in Cleveland while they figured them out.
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