Corey Kispert Says Goodbye to Wizards

The Washington Wizards' former shooter issued farewell to his old team after enjoying the best day of his professional career at their expense.

Jan 28, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Corey Kispert (24) dribbles the ball against the Boston Celtics during the first half at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Everyone seems to eat against the Washington Wizards, a direct product of their ridiculously-penetrable defense regularly allowing stars and role players alike to tee off against the tanking operation.

It was only a matter of time before one of the many former Wizards whom the franchise traded since the start of the year connected on a heat check at their expense, and that turned out to be Corey Kispert, now of the Atlanta Hawks. The shooter set a new career-high in points with 33, scoring on 11 of his 19 buckets in a miniature revenge performance.

COREY KORVER OMG

7-7 FG 5-5 3PM 19 POINTS IN 7 MINUTES pic.twitter.com/6QEBpeKeln

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) February 27, 2026

He could have reason to sound annoyed at the Wizards if he really wanted to, having spent nearly half a decade in Washington before getting thrown into the Trae Young deal right before they look to push their way out of the league's gutter. He could have rubbed his big night in the face of his old team, but chose to take the high road in reflecting on his Wizards years.

"Having a chance to compete against them was really special," he said after the game. "And to play really well against your former team, too, is great. It feels awesome. And I wish nothing but the best for all of the guys up and down that roster. I'm a huge fan of theirs. And hopefully, getting to be a small part of their growth and development was a highlight of mine for sure. So best of luck to the Wizards going forward, and especially the people that I made really close friends (with) and had those close relationships with in D.C. is something that I'll carry forever."

Wizards Moving On Without Kispert

Washington's first-round draft pick from the 2021 class held on as long as he could to the squad, with team General Manager Will Dawkins clarifying before the season's start that Kispert offered enough on- and off-the-court leadership to continue investing in the veteran despite the ongoing rebuild.

Nov 7, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24) dunks the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first half in an Emirates NBA Cup game at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

But once the Wizards realized that a point guard good enough to lead the core into their next era like Young was available, several seemingly-secure pieces suddenly grew expendable. Out went Kispert, along with CJ McCollum, and in came a proven All-Star looking for a fresh beginning.

Now that nearly two months separate the present from the shocking swap, it would be fair to judge that the move was fruitful for everyone involved. While the Wizards finally get their hands on a decorated table-setter, Kispert and McCollum each get to build their individual value on an Atlanta team without that same strict team-building direction. They'll keep right on proving themselves as effective scorers and teammates in winning over the Hawks and evaluators from afar, and the team they've since departed can add another strong endorsement from an old friend to their catalog.

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