Rockets next move after Cam Whitmore trade is painfully obvious

After trading Cam Whitmore to the Washington Wizards, the next move the Houston Rockets should make is painfully obvious: Add three-point shooting. The Rockets just traded Whitmore to the Rockets for a 2026 Sacramento Kings second-rounder and a 2030 Chicago Bulls second-rounder.

By trading Whitmore, the Rockets opened up a little bit of flexibility in a couple of different areas. First and foremost, moving him for draft capital opens up a roster spot, as they were pressed up against the 15-man limit. But it also gets his $3.6 million salary off the books. That may not seem like much, but it gives them a bit more flexibility to work with under the first apron.

And with that flexibility, they need to add shooting.

Why do the Rockets need three-point shooting after Cam Whitmore trade?

The Rockets took a huge swing this summer by trading for Kevin Durant. They shipped out Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and draft picks for Durant, coughing up two of their highest volume three-point shooters from last year’s roster.

Now, the core of their team is full of relatively average shooters like Alperen Sengun, Tari Eason, and Amen Thompson. Obviously, Durant himself is an elite three-point shooter, and Fred VanVleet gets up a ton of threes per game, too. But adding more to the bench should be a top priority for the Rockets.

They have one of the most talented rosters in the league already, but bringing in more guys who can shoot the ball well from beyond the arc will be crucial if they want to compete at the highest level come playoff time.

Obviously, they don’t have enough wiggle room to add anyone who will play massive minutes, but having one or two specialists off the bench is essential if some other guys are having rough nights or if they need a spark. There are a few solid, cheap options left in free agency that the Rockets should explore.

Someone like Seth Curry could be an ideal choice for the Rockets. He won’t play a ton of minutes, but he’s one of the most efficient shooters in NBA history. Merely having him around would be a plus.

A guy like Caleb Houstan could be interesting, too. He hasn’t proven himself yet in the NBA, but if the Rockets wanted to go in a younger direction, he could be a fun project (though that would be weird, considering they just traded Whitmore).a

Even players like Doug McDermott or Landry Shamet could make some sense. It would just be a good idea for the Rockets to round out their roster with a three-point specialist, considering how many of their depth pieces aren’t amazing shooters from deep.