Corey Kispert's Uncertain Future with the Wizards

An hour before last summer's NBA Draft commenced, the Washington Wizards made a move that few expected. They dealt Deni Avdija, a former top-10 pick and key young prospect on a rebuilding team, to Portland in exchange for the aging Malcolm Brogdon and the #14 pick in that night's draft that eventually turned into Bub Carrington.

The message was clear, especially after the draft wrapped up. This front office is insistent on building their next era on long, defensive-minded young guys with high feel and multifaceted offensive packages, prioritizing those who fit that vision over previous draft picks from the pre-2023 regime.

Rising sophomore Bilal Coulibaly fit that label, as did their trio of 2024 first-round draft picks in Carrington, Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George. 2020 draftee Avdija, despite is growth as a versatile defender, rim scorer and tertiary playmaker, didn't fit that designated timeline.

Eyes soon turned to Corey Kispert, the first-rounder taken a year after Avdija. He was a bit of an odd pick for Washington, a high-level collegiate shooter and cutter with less raw intrigue that a contender is more likely to bite on, as opposed to the middling Wizards team he ended up on. Nearly a year after the Avdija move, and Kispert remains in DC while facing more uncertainty with his future on the team than ever before.

He just turned 26, somehow making him a few months older than teammate Jordan Poole, who feels like he's already lived multiple lives in the NBA. Kispert, meanwhile, once looked like one of the league's best young shooters before stagnating this season, further sunk from his second-year-high 42.4% 3-point clip to 36.4%, down from 38.3% in the season prior.

Corey Kispert 4-year progression. His efficiency dipped a little this year on both his 2s and 3s but he’s still an efficient bench SG. pic.twitter.com/zCY9LxYmSC
— Wizards Film Room (@KevinFolliNBA) March 18, 2025

What's more, this was the usually-dependable Kispert's first time dealing with a long-term injury, tearing a ligament in his thumb and failing to his the 70 game threshold for the first time.

While he was gone, the younger pieces all took big personal strides on the court with increased minutes. Carrington looks like he'll have to start on next year's Wizards squad after developing into a high-level scorer and facilitator in the backcourt, and fellow rookie George alleviates the team having to rely so much on Kispert as a shooter, posting improved results from deep as the season wore on with much better defense than anything Kispert can offer.

Both of those draft hits will likely seep into Kispert's potential minute load next year, as will the return of long-injured Saddiq Bey and whatever other prospects the Washington front office brings on later this year. They'll likely out-prioritize Kispert in the long-term pecking order, harboring a closer connection with the executives who drafted them and the current young Wizards who align with their theme despite the guard's obvious talent.

Corey Kispert slipping screens pic.twitter.com/zXu4EWwxZw https://t.co/sdmuvhfZ02
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) August 19, 2024

So what to do with Kispert? He likely doesn't fit with General Manager Will Dawkins' long-term team building goals, but he's still too young and talented to fit in with Marcus Smart, Anthony Gill and whatever older veterans remain who's playing time will wax and wane depending on matchups. He's certainly the odd man out, someone to keep an eye out for as draft season and trading windows approach.

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