Revealing the White Devils Trading: The Rockets wanted to exchange for the first round pick but no team provided a similar offer

On July 25, Rockets reporter Kelly Iko talked about Whitmore's trade issues while interacting with some enthusiastic fans. A fan excitedly said: "The Rockets could have exchanged Whitmore for more assets, right? For a former first-round pick who has the potential to average 20 points per game, it seems too cheap to just exchange a second round pick." In this regard, Iko conducted in-depth analysis and interpretation, and shared his views on the deal.

Earlier this month, Whitmore's Rockets career ended abruptly - he was traded to the Washington Wizards, and the return was a second round pick for the Bulls in 2026 and a second round pick for the Kings in 2029. This deal not only reflects the cruel reality of today's NBA, but also triggers people's in-depth thinking about the shrinking value of players. In today's league, teams are increasingly cautious in allocating resources, and the trading value of players seems to have not matched their potential in many cases.

Not long ago, Whitmore was widely regarded as a high-profile star, and some analysts even believed that he would be selected into the top ten in the draft. Almost all mock draft predictions believe that he will at least be picked in the lottery and will never fall to the 20th pick. However, over time, it is not entirely impossible to reshape its external value, but Whitmore's cooperation with the Rockets has not developed as smoothly as both sides expected. The 21-year-old young player, who has been with the Rockets for longer, has made his potential a double-edged sword because he is unable to integrate into the rotation lineup of coach Uduka. The Rockets' management is of course well aware that Whitmore can show his potential in a suitable environment - many high-end data analyses show that he can become a scorer who has a significant impact on the game. However, from the perspective of the Rockets and Whitmore himself, the biggest challenge is finding a truly “suitable environment” that has a big mismatch with the team’s ever-changing timeline. At the end of the season, both sides began to have in-depth discussions on how to make a decision that would be beneficial to each other, whether it was reintroducing Whitmore into the team’s plan or trading him to other teams that could provide playing time.

According to team insiders, on draft night, the Rockets tried to trade Whitmore to a team that could be selected in the end of the first round, but other teams were not willing to reach an agreement on that deal value. The fact that the Rockets' valuation of Whitmore is higher than the consensus of other teams has accelerated the process of the deal, and Kevin Durant's addition has forced the Rockets' management to deal with it carefully. The team's senior executives, led by General Manager Raphael Stone, worked closely with Whitmore's agent team, hoping to find a solution that both parties can accept, which will not only bring reasonable returns on assets to the Rockets, but also allow Whitmore to a team that can give him a chance to play.

During the trading period, several other teams made offers for Whitmore involving a second round pick, and the Rockets could have easily traded him to any of them. However, Whitmore's agent team is more focused on the long-term development of the players, hoping to avoid the dilemma of the past two seasons. Eventually, the Rockets chose to trade Whitmore to a team closer to his home (Whitmore studied at Severn, Maryland, which is about 25 miles from Washington), and the team is in the rebuilding stage, which is similar to Whitmore's career goals. This deal was undoubtedly the best choice to be reached at that time.

Although the Rockets may have gained more assets for Whitmore's trade that season, it is only if he can enter Uduka's rotation. However, given the overall depth of the team at that time, it was obvious that this goal was almost impossible to achieve. Sure enough, in this context, the final deal became the wisest choice, although for the Rockets, losing such a rookie who is highly anticipated is still a considerable loss.