Washington Wizards exercise Corey Kispert's team option
There was a lot at stake for Corey Kispert entering his third season in the NBA with the Washington Wizards. The former Gonzaga men's basketball star was solid as a rookie and took a major step in the right direction in year two, but ultimately his future with the franchise hinged on his contract situation heading into the 2023-24 season.
Through three games, Kispert has solidified his place in the nation's capital as the Wizards picked up his $5.71 million team option for 2024-25, confirmed by the team on Tuesday morning. Washington also exercised the third-year contract options on Johnny Davis and Patrick Baldwin Jr.
It's the second season the Wizards picked up the team option on Kispert, who signed a four-year, $16 million contract after being selected 15th overall by the team in the 2021 NBA Draft. As a first-round pick, his rookie scale contract carried two guaranteed years with two team options for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. If he doesn't sign a contract extension with Washington by the end of next season, the team can extend a qualifying offer that would make Kispert a restricted free agent in the offseason.
Kispert has established himself as a legitimate threat on the perimeter early in his NBA career. The 24-year-old knocked down 163 triples last season at a 42.4% clip, the 10th-best mark in the association. Much of his progression as a pro was evident toward the latter stretches of the season, as he averaged 15.6 points on 53.4/44.5/82.8 shooting splits over the final 15 games.
Kispert is off to a similar pace early into the 2023-24 season. While coming off the bench, he's third on the team in scoring with 14.0 points per game on 42.9% shooting from beyond the arc. He scored 22 points and knocked down five triples in the Wizards' 113-106 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night. All of his points came in the first half, which sparked Washington to a 16-point lead at halftime.
There's still a long season ahead, and with the Wizards in an apparent rebuild mode, arguably no one on the roster is safe from being dealt in a trade. But in today's NBA, Kispert's 3-point marksmanship will always be of value, not to mention his development as an all-around player.
