The Bulls have had the opportunity to sign or acquire Whitmore, Peyton Watson, Bennedict Mathurin and Jonathan Kuminga this offseason, but landed none of them.
With the preseason less than three weeks away, the Bulls still have one open roster spot and one available two-way contract.
One of the top potential candidates to join Chicago in that capacity is now officially off the board, as free agent wing Cam Whitmore is reportedly signing with the Denver Nuggets as a two-way player, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Whitmore is only 22 years old and possesses the "size" and "athleticism" traits from Bryson Graham's "SLAP" acronym. The 2023 first-round draft pick has bounced around between the Houston Rockets and the Washington Wizards, but he's been productive in three seasons as a pro.
As a rookie in Houston, Whitmore played in 47 games and made two starts, averaging 12.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. He also shot 45.4% from the floor and 35.9% from deep — an encouraging sign for potential growth for a 19-year-old, despite his subpar defense. However, his performance has dipped since then. Whitmore averaged just 9.4 points per game in 2024-25 before being traded to the Wizards.
Although Washington finished with the league's worst record last season, Whitmore struggled to get playing time. He appeared in just 21 games and his three-point accuracy plummeted to 28.6%, the worst of his career. Whitmore was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder in December, causing him to miss the remainder of the season. He was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and subsequently waived last month.
Nov 22, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Washington Wizards forward Cam Whitmore (1) scores against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Bryson Graham Emphasizes Flexibility
Throughout this summer, Graham has repeatedly said that he prioritizes flexibility for the team's future, as well as cap space. That cap space allowed him to land Nic Claxton in a three-team trade without surrendering any assets, and he traded down multiple times in the NBA Draft's second round to obtain more cash considerations and second-round pick swaps.
If Whitmore occupied a roster spot, Chicago would be less flexible in a potential future trade, which could limit Graham's return package in a deal. He could have signed Whitmore to a two-way deal, as Denver did, but his decision not to shows the faith he has in the Bulls' current two-way players: guard Jaylin Sellers and forward Tobe Awaka.
The Bulls' wing rotation is already looking like a logjam, with Noa Essengue, Leonard Miller, Isaac Okoro, Dailyn Swain and Patrick Williams all battling for minutes behind Matas Buzelis. Adding Whitmore to the bunch would not only make the position room more crowded; it would also make it much more difficult for Chicago's home-grown young talent to receive the developmental playing time it needs.
