Cam Whitmore’s blood clot is not associated with an excused absence from practice

Washington Wizards wing Cam Whitmore hasn’t played since his team’s 146-101 loss to the Boston Celtics on Dec. 4, and it’s unclear when he will return. The 21-year-old was diagnosed blood clot called “deep vein thrombosis” in his right shoulder, via ESPN’s Shams Charania.

“Washington Wizards forward Cam Whitmore is out indefinitely after being diagnosed with upper extremity deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, sources told ESPN,” he reported Tuesday afternoon. “Whitmore has missed the last few games with shoulder soreness and further testing revealed a blood clot. He joined the Wizards via an enhanced-chance trade and has begun working closely with (head) coach Brian Keefe in recent weeks as part of his development plan.

Wizards then released their own statement on social media soon after.

“G/F Cam Whitmore has been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis of the upper extremities. Whitmore was evaluated after missing the previous two games due to right shoulder soreness,” they said. “Whitmore is expected to be sidelined indefinitely. His progress and recovery will be monitored and his status updated as necessary.”

Whitmore made headlines due to conflicting reports on whether his absence from practice was warranted after he sat out Washington’s 131-116 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 6, his first “coach’s decision not to play” of the season. Keefe said on December 9 that he had an excused absence Dec. 5 due to illness, via Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. A team spokesperson confirmed to ClutchPoints on Tuesday that the previous illness was unrelated to the blood clot.

The Cam Whitmore Puzzle Timeline

RG’s Grant Afsett reported on December 8 that Whitmore’s the absence was unexcusedalthough he did not specify for which practice. He too the source quoted saying “If you’re trying to make it in the NBA, you’ve got to show up to practice.”

The Wizards listed Whitmore as “questionable” with an illness for the Dec. 5 game against the Hawks, but upgraded it to “available” before the game.

RG Quinn Allen wrote on Dec. 11 that Afsett “stands by his report.” A team spokesperson also told the outlet that Whitmore “did not miss a Wizards practice, shooting or passing,” and that the DNP was not disciplinary.

However, Keefe cited Whitmore not living up to “certain standards” when asked why he didn’t play against Atlanta in the presser after the game, via Shankar.

“We have certain standards that we have for our team. It has to live up to those who are better,” he said. “And he will have an opportunity here, but it will be up to him when that time comes.”

When asked what standards Whitmore failed to meet, Keefe said: “Those are things we talk about internally, so there are more things that we saw in the game, but I don’t have anything else to comment on.”

Afsett then dismissed Keefe’s “in-game” statement, writing that the main issues were Whitmore’s “daily work” and “practice habits,” according to multiple sources. He also said the tone of Keefe’s “standards” comment was “aligned with what sources describe as Washington’s broader focus: accountability, consistency and daily habits.”

Hours after Afsett’s report, Troy Halliburton of the Capital Hoop Caucus said otherwise story.

“The notion that Whitmore’s practice habits in Washington have anything to do with his bullpen may be overstated,” he wrote. “Every anecdote I’ve heard (from inside sources) about Kam with the Wizards is that he was ultra-competitive and gave maximum effort at the beginning of training camp and was actually one of the loudest people on the team when the team was struggling early in the season.”

Halliburton specified that Whitmore’s in-game actions, such as not boxing out for rebounds or making enough passes, were a real problem.

“One person described it as a young player who ‘hasn’t fully read the room yet,'” Halliburton wrote. “Another called it typical immaturity, but noted that it’s the kind of thing that gets noticed when a player doesn’t have organizational fairness built into it.”

After that, Halliburton he conveyed the message on social networks from Wizards Public Relations that Afseth’s report was false.

Keefe then said after the afternoon practice that Afsett’s report was “complete nonsense. It’s ridiculous, it’s not true, it’s completely false. He was sick. He had an excused absence.”

Keefe was then asked during his appearance on December 10 on “The Sports Junkies,” the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area morning radio show on 106.7 The Fan, why Whitmore didn’t play against the Hawks.

“We were looking at different rotations … we didn’t play well in a few games before that,” he admitted. “We wanted to try something new. He didn’t do anything wrong himself, but he’s learning our system and how we do things. We wanted to give the other guys a chance. Some of the other guys played well.”

Keefe repeatedly mentioned Washington’s deep roster, particularly complimenting veteran forward Justin Champagne, rookie forward Will Rileyand rookie running back Jamir Watkins for their productivity. All three players received increased minutes following Whitmore’s benching.

Whitmore was then seen shooting free throws and hanging out with veteran teammates Marvin Bagley III and Corey Kispert after practice that day.

Cam Whitmore, Marvin Bagley and Corey Kispert shoot free throws at Wizards practice pic.twitter.com/CPZJHzDZjr

— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) December 10, 2025

On December 12, Whitmore recorded another “DNP-CD” in the Wizards’ 130–126 home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers despite no injury reported completely the day before. Keefe told ClutchPoints in the postgame presser that the team is simply trying different lineup combinations. Then he said, “I won’t talk about it again after tonight,” assuring that the first The Villanova Wildcats will “be back in the mix at some point, it always works this way,” via Shankar. Again he gave a shout out to Riley and Watkins for their efficiency.

Whitmore recorded multiple shutouts without being on the injury report until Sunday, when he the team listed him as “out” against San Antonio Spurs due to right shoulder pain. Keefe provided no further context about the illness before the game and was asked what Whitmore needs to do to get back into the rotation, via Monumental Sports Network’s Bian Todd.

“He does everything, he did a great job. We enjoyed working with him,” he said. “Other guys have stepped up in the rotation and played well. His time will come.”

Washington lost 124-113, and Charania broke the news of the blood clot two days later.

What happens next?

Wizards team officials are safe that Whitmore will return this season, via Todd.

“We are taking it cautiously and looking at treatment options, but we are confident that he will attack his rehabilitation professionally and return to us later in the season,” they said.

Also team officials said it was an injury is “not considered career-threatening,” via Josh Robbins, David Aldridge and Jordi Fee-Platt of the Athletics.

Deep vein thrombosis, known as “DVT,” is not unheard of in the NBA. Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama was sidelined for the rest of last season after being diagnosed in February, also in his right shoulder. 7-foot-4, 235 pounds he was put on blood thinners to remove a clot and was cleared to play before this season, according to The Athletic.

A month after Vembanyama’s diagnosis, VMC Health published an article stating that DVT in the shoulder often occurs “when the subclavian vein—the main vein near the shoulder—becomes compressed in the thoracic outlet, the area where the clavicle, first rib, and surrounding muscles meet. This compression can restrict blood flow, leading to clot formation. It is most commonly seen in athletes, or individuals who perform overhead repetitions. pitchers.”

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and Detroit Pistons wing Ausar Thompson previously missed time with DVT. Eleven-time All-Star Chris Bosh was forced to retire after DVT in his legs led to clots in his lungs in 2015 and 2016.

Every case is different, but the fact that Wembanjama, Thompson and Lillard all returned without any problems sets a promising precedent. Lillard is out for the season after tearing his Achilles tendon in the 2025 NBA playoffs.

How can Cam Whitmore work his way back into the rotation upon his return?

The timing of this development is particularly difficult for Whitmore given that he has not had a chance to prove himself in a game from his bench. The 6-foot-6, 230-pounder is averaging 9.2 points on 45.6 percent shooting (28.6 percent from 3-point range) with 2.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 16.9 minutes per contest. He came off the bench for Washington’s first 21 games before not playing on Dec. 6.

The The Wizards acquired Whitmore from the Houston Rockets for two second-round picks over the summer. Team officials considered him “an intriguing rebound project after falling out of favor in Houston and unable to crack Houston’s regular pitching rotation,” per Robbins, Aldridge and Fee-Platt.

Whitmore was taken 20th overall by the Rockets in the 2023 NBA Draft and explosive drive to the rimbut had a “breakup with (Rockets head coach Imen Udok) over expectations and buy-in,” via Jackson Gatlin of Locked On Rockets. Combine that with Keefe’s comment about the “standards” in the game, and it’s clear the Maryland native has plenty to think about as he recovers.

More passing would be a good start for Whitmore, as he is next to last among Washington players (minimum 10 minutes per game) in average assists. His total of 220 passing yards while on the bench was the fewest of any regular on the team behind Robbins, Aldridge and Phi-Platt.

That’s not ideal for the Wizards’ offense, which is based on sharing the ball and constantly moving players. This is an example of how Whitmore can work on his “bui-in”. But the fact that he has been working “closely” with Keefe in recent weeks shows his willingness to try.

Once Whitmore recovers from DVT, the onus will be on him to show why he deserves to be retained long-term.