Wizards wing Cam Whitmore on playing against the Rockets next season: “At the end of the day, that calendar is marked, when the day comes.”
When the NBA’s complete schedule for the 2025-26 regular season is released within the next two weeks, fans of the Rockets will undoubtedly circle certain matchups to see how Houston’s revamped squad stacks up against other perceived title contenders.
But there are other teams likely to circle games against the Rockets — and specifically, those featuring players who were jettisoned from Houston as part of a busy 2025 offseason.
“Kevin Durant is a fit… but at the end of the day, that calendar is marked, when the day comes,” Washington Wizards guard/forward Cam Whitmore told Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson. ”So, it’s gonna be a good game!”
Whitmore, 21, played for the Rockets over the past two seasons since being drafted in the 2023 first round. Jalen Green, 23, had played in Houston for four years after being picked at No. 2 overall in the 2021 draft — and he expressed a similar sentiment in his farewell letter (The Players Tribune).
“If I bust y’all for 30 (points) next season, just remember the good times,” the Phoenix Suns guard wrote in that letter. “Another opportunity to shut up y’all petty haters, too.”
“I see everything, and I thank you for it,” Green added.
In his comments to Robinson, Whitmore made it clear that he is rooting for Green’s success with the Suns.
“I’m not gonna lie, Jalen is a good and athletic player, and I think he should’ve been an All-Star this past year,” Whitmore said of Green, who led the 52-30 Rockets (No. 2 record in the Western Conference) in scoring. “I think his breakout year will be this year. He has a lot of people doubting him, and I’m rooting for him. That’s my brother.”
Caught up with new Washington Wizard @_camwhitmore_ who was recently traded from the Houston Rockets to D.C.
A Maryland native and product of the DMV’s rich hoops culture, Cam opened up about his growth, lessons from Houston, expectations for this season & more.
🔗 Full story… pic.twitter.com/86dO64WmG1
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) July 28, 2025
Given their ages and talent levels, the Rockets know that both Green and Whitmore could still develop into very good NBA players.
But Green needed to be included in the Durant trade for matching salary reasons, and the resulting win-now emphasis from acquiring a veteran superstar made it tougher to justify developmental minutes for Whitmore. Thus, veteran role players such as Dorian Finney-Smith, Clint Capela, and Josh Okogie made more sense to complement Houston’s core.
It all makes sense on paper, but there’s still an emotional component for players who spent multiple years to begin their respective NBA careers in Houston. So, assuming health, expect those Suns-Rockets and Wizards-Rockets matchups to have a bit more intensity than they did last season.
Jalen Green says goodbye to his @HoustonRockets family: “We were such a close group. That’s why it’s so tough to even be doing a goodbye, because I might as well just post a link to the whole damn roster. Every guy is somebody I was close with — somebody who I’ll keep in touch… pic.twitter.com/ItpPhzxB1u
— The Players’ Tribune (@PlayersTribune) July 28, 2025