Washington Wizards wing Cam Whitmore hasn’t played since his team’s 146-101 loss to the Boston Celtics on Dec. 4, and it’s unclear when he will return. The 21-year-old has been diagnosed with a blood clot named “deep vein thrombosis” in his right shoulder, via ESPN’s Shams Charania.
“Washington Wizards forward Cam Whitmore is out indefinitely after being diagnosed with upper-extremity deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, sources tell ESPN,” he reported on Tuesday afternoon. “Whitmore had missed the past few games with shoulder soreness and further testing revealed the blood clot. He joined the Wizards via trade in an increased opportunity and had started working closely with [head] coach Brian Keefe in recent weeks as part of his development plan.”
The Wizards then released their own statement on social media shortly after.
“G/F Cam Whitmore has been diagnosed with upper-extremity deep vein thrombosis. Whitmore was evaluated after missing the previous two games with right shoulder soreness,” they said. “Whitmore is expected to be sidelined indefinitely. His progress and recovery will be monitored, and his status will be updated as appropriate.”
Whitmore made headlines due to conflicting reports about whether his practice absence was excused after sitting out Washington’s 131-116 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 6, his first “Did Not Play-Coach’s Decision” tag of the season. Keefe said on Dec. 9 that he had an excused absence on Dec. 5 due to an illness, via The Washington Post’s Varun Shankar. A team spokesperson confirmed to ClutchPoints on Tuesday that the previous illness was unrelated to the blood clot.
Timeline of Cam Whitmore Conundrum
© Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
RG’s Grant Afseth reported on Dec. 8 that Whitmore’s absence was unexcused, although he didn’t specify for which practice. He also quoted a source saying “If you’re trying to establish yourself in the NBA, you need to show up to practice.”
The Wizards listed Whitmore as “questionable” with an illness for the Hawks game on Dec. 5, but upgraded him to “available” pre-game.
RG’s Quinn Allen wrote on Dec. 11 that Afseth “stands by his reporting.” A team spokesperson also told the outlet that Whitmore “has not missed a Wizards practice, shootaround or walkthrough,” and that the DNP was not disciplinary.
However, Keefe cited Whitmore not living up to “certain standards” when asked why he didn’t play against Atlanta in the post-game presser, via Shankar.
“We have certain standards that we have for our team. He has to live up to those on the better,” he said. “And he’ll have a chance here, but that’s gonna be up to him when that time comes.”
When asked what standards Whitmore didn’t live up to, Keefe said “That’s the stuff we talk about internally, so it’s more stuff we saw in the game, but I don’t have anything more to comment on that.”
Afseth then pushed back on Keefe’s “in the game” statement, writing that the main issues were Whitmore’s “day-to-day work” and “practice habits,” according to multiple sources. He also said that the tone of Keefe’s “standards” comment “aligned with what sources describe as Washington’s broader focus: accountability, consistency, and daily habits.”
Hours after Afseth’s report, Capital Hoop Caucus’s Troy Haliburton told a different story.
“The notion that Whitmore’s practice habits in DC having anything to do with his benching may be overstated,” he wrote. “Every anecdote I’ve heard [from inside sources] about Cam with the Wizards is that he has been ultra competitive and giving maximum effort beginning in training camp and was actually one of the more vocal people on the team when the team was struggling early on in the season.”
Haliburton specified that Whitmore’s in-game actions, like not boxing out for rebounds or passing enough, were the real issues.
“One person described it as a young player who ‘doesn’t fully read the room yet,’” Haliburton wrote. “Another called it typical immaturity but noted that it was the type of thing that gets noticed when a player doesn’t have built-in organizational equity.”
After that, Haliburton relayed a message on social media from Wizards Public Relations that Afseth’s report was false.
Keefe then said after the following afternoon’s practice that Afseth’s report was “Complete nonsense. That’s ridiculous, not true, completely false. He was sick. He had an excused absence.”
Keefe was then asked during his Dec. 10 appearance on “The Sports Junkies,” a Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area morning radio show on 106.7 The Fan, why Whitmore didn’t play against the Hawks.
“We were looking at different rotations…we hadn’t played well in a couple games before that,” he admitted. “We wanted to try something new. Nothing he did wrong himself, but he’s learning our system and how we do stuff. We wanted to give other guys a chance. Some of the other guys were playing well.”
Keefe continually mentioned Washington’s deep roster, specifically complimenting veteran forward Justin Champagnie, rookie forward Will Riley, and rookie guard Jamir Watkins for their productivity. All three players received increased minutes after Whitmore’s benching.
Whitmore was then seen shooting free throws and socializing with veteran teammates Marvin Bagley III and Corey Kispert after practice that day.
Cam Whitmore, Marvin Bagley, and Corey Kispert shooting free throws at Wizards practice pic.twitter.com/CPZJHzDZjr
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) December 10, 2025
On Dec. 12, Whitmore logged another “DNP-CD” in the Wizards’ 130-126 home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers despite being off the injury report entirely the day before. Keefe told ClutchPoints in the postgame presser that the team was simply trying different lineup combinations. He then said “I’m not gonna discuss this any further after tonight,” assuring that the former Villanova Wildcat will “be back in the mix here at some point, it always works out this way,” via Shankar. He again shouted out Riley and Watkins for their effectiveness.
Whitmore logged more DNPs without being on the injury report until Sunday, when the team listed him as “out” against the San Antion Spurs due to right shoulder soreness. Keefe provided no further context about the ailment pre-game and was asked what Whitmore needs to do to get back in the rotation, via Monumental Sports Network’s Bijan Todd.
“He’s doing everything, he’s been working great. We’ve enjoyed working with him,” he said. “Other guys have stepped up in the rotation and played well. His time will come.”
Washington lost 124-113, and Charania broke the blood clot news two days later.
What Happens Next?
Wizards team officials are confident that Whitmore will return this season, via Todd.
“We are handling it cautiously and considering treatment options, but we’re confident he’ll attack his rehab professionally and return to us later in the season,” they said.
Team officials also said that the injury is “not considered to be career-threatening,” via The Athletic’s Josh Robbins, David Aldridge, and Jordy Fee-Platt.
Deep vein thrombosis, known as “DVT,” is not unheard of in the NBA. Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama was sidelined for the rest of last season after being diagnosed with it in February, also in his right shoulder. The 7-foot-4, 235-pounder was put on blood thinners to remove the clot and was cleared to play heading into this season, per The Athletic.
A month after Wembanyama’s diagnosis, WMC Health published a piece stating that DVT in the shoulder often occurs “when the subclavian vein—a major vein near the shoulder—becomes compressed in the thoracic outlet, an area where the clavicle, first rib and surrounding muscles intersect. This compression can restrict blood flow, leading to clot formation. It’s most often seen in athletes or individuals who perform repetitive overhead motions, such as swimmers and baseball pitchers.”
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and Detroit Pistons wing Ausar Thompson previously missed time with DVT as well. 11-time All-Star Chris Bosh was forced to retire after DVT in his legs led to clots in his lungs in 2015 and 2016.
Each case is different, but the fact that Wembanyama, Thompson, and Lillard all returned with no issues sets a promising precedent. Lillard is out for this season because he tore his Achilles tendon in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
How Can Cam Whitmore Get Back Into Rotation Upon Return?
The timing of this development is especially tough for Whitmore given that he hasn’t had the chance to prove himself in-game since his benching. The 6-foot-6, 230-pounder is averaging 9.2 points on 45.6 percent shooting (28.6 percent 3-point) with 2.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists over 16.9 minutes per contest. He came off the bench in Washington’s first 21 games before the DNP on Dec. 6.
The Wizards acquired Whitmore from the Houston Rockets for two second-round picks over the summer. Team officials considered him “an intriguing reclamation project after he had fallen out of favor in Houston and could not crack Houston’s regular playing rotation,” per Robbins, Aldridge, and Fee-Platt.
Whitmore was taken No. 20 overall by the Rockets in the 2023 NBA Draft and is explosive driving to the rim, but he had a “disconnect with [Rockets head coach Ime Udoka] on expectations and buy-in,” via Locked On Rockets’ Jackson Gatlin. Mix that with Keefe’s comment about in-game “standards,” and it’s clear that the Maryland native has plenty to reflect on while he recovers.
Passing more would be a good start for Whitmore, as he’s second-to-last among Washington players (minimum 10 minutes per game) in average assists. His 220 total passes at the time of his benching was the lowest of any of the team’s regular rotation players, via Robbins, Aldridge, and Fee-Platt.
That’s not ideal for the Wizards’ offense, which is predicated on sharing the ball and constant player movement. This is an example of how Whitmore can work on his “buy-in.” But the fact that he’s worked with Keefe one-on-one in recent weeks shows his willingness to try.
Once Whitmore recovers from DVT, the onus will be on him to show why he deserves to stick around long-term.