What Cam Whitmore's G-League demotion means for the Rockets

There's been a lot of discussion about the Houston Rockets' depth.

Most of the discussion is positive. Depth is good. Having a wide range of options that you can put on the floor is a positive. Still, the Rockets are dealing with some rich people's problems at the moment.

How will they find time for all of these guys? The Rockets are widely held to have a "core seven". Here's the issue:

There's no such thing as a core seven.

There are five starters and a sixth man. For as much discussion as there's been about Houston's depth, there's been even more discussion about consolidation. If the Rockets do make a move soon, it seems like Cam Whitmore could be a prime candidate to be moved. In a sense, the Rockets have already moved him:

To the G-League.

Rockets' Cam Whitmore gets demotion

Whitmore has been assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

This should not surprise anybody. Whitmore has fallen out of the Rockets' rotation in recent games, and it seems that Ime Udoka doesn't trust the sophomore wing. His 1/18 shooting from three-point range to begin 2024-25 feels like a logical starting point.

Yet, there's more. Whitmore averaged 1.35 assists per 75 possessions as a rookie. During Summer League, it seemed like he'd figured something out regarding passing. Summer League can be deceiving: Whitmore averages 1.5 assists per 75 possessions in 2024-25.

Is that why he's heading to the G-League?

Rockets' Whitmore needs to expand his game

Whitmore's shift to the Vipers is a logical decision.

He's fallen out of the main rotation. Whitmore is too talented to rot on the bench. What else would the Rockets do with him?

With the Vipers, it could be wise to have Whitmore run point - although, the career G-Leaguers on the roster may not appreciate the disruption. Still, the idea should at least be to have Whitmore work on his weaknesses while he's with the squad.

Development is a sensible goal for Whitmore. It would be naive to suggest that this demotion doesn't say anything about his stature with the organization. If the Rockets were certain about his future with the team, they'd let him work through his issues on the main roster.

That's not to say the Rockets have given up on Whitmore either. If the main roster suffers an unfortunate injury in 2024-25, he'll get another opportunity. In the meantime, Vipers fans will get a treat as he joins their roster:

Luckily, the Rockets have enough depth to sustain the loss.