Washington Wizards X-Factor For The 2025-26 Season - Cam Whitmore

As with several other rebuilding teams in the NBA, the Washington Wizards are looking to craft their roster through the draft and by adding young pieces. This summer, the Wizards were involved in a three-team trade that landed them a young, talented forward, Cam Whitmore, who provides the team with something most of their roster lacks: playoff experience. 

Last season, during his second season with the Houston Rockets, Whitmore got a taste of postseason basketball. While his time on the court was limited to just five minutes, he experienced the intensity and pressure of meaningful games. Although he was watching from the bench, that exposure for a player his age gives him a mental edge as he joins a Wizards squad looking to create its identity. 

The Wizards' patient approach, developing young players who can grow together, is a perfect fit for Whitmore—more so than sitting on the bench in Houston, a team that fast-tracked its rebuilding process. Combining an aerial attack with improved three-point shooting, Whitmore provides the Wizards with a versatile offensive weapon. Scoring 20+ points six times during his two-year tenure in Houston, Whitmore also posted a career-high 34-point game against the L.A. Lakers last spring.

It's not just his physical tools that make Whitmore an X-factor for the Wizards this season; perhaps more importantly, it's his understanding of what it takes to compete at the playoff level. Minus Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum, Whitmore is the only player in a locker room full of young talent seeking their first postseason experience.

It will likely be a few more years before the Wizards are ready to compete for a playoff seed as the team waits for its draft prospects to develop. If Whitmore can bring the playoff mindset from Houston to Washington, he may help the team secure a few surprise victories and give the Wizards the extra kick they need toward respectability.