Wizards Veteran Forward Could Be On Thin Ice

Over the past couple of seasons, Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert has been a staple in the teams rotation. Kispert was selected No. 15-overall in the 2021 NBA draft and has seen mild success since then. Over his tenure with the Wizards, Kispert has posted averages of 11.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists a game, on shooting splits of 47.4% from the field, 38.3% from three and 80.5% from the free throw line. Despite his solid numbers, Kispert has seen a slip in production in recent years along with the Wizards investing heavily in other wings. The result of this trend; Kispert possibly being left out of long term plans.

Washington drafted Kispert in 2021 with the thought in mind of him providing elite 3-point shooting ability. Although Kispert can get hot at any moment, he has yet to display consistent top end 3-point shooting. His numbers have been up and down over the course of his career. Wavering shooting numbers would be acceptable for most players, but when a player provides as little in other areas as Kispert, its harder to get away with. He has seen some growth as a driver and defender in his time in Washington, but nothing that suggests overwhelming improvement.

It seems as if the Wizards have caught onto this trend as well. Washingtons front office has began to invest heavily in wings, trading for Khris Middleton at least years deadline, along with drafting Tre Johnson and Will Riley this past offseason. Second year player Kyshawn George has also seen vast improvement and seems prone for a breakout this season. Bilal Coulibaly, Justin Champagnie and Malaki Branham are other wings on the Wizards roster, further more driving home the point that Kispert may be left behind.

With all this in mind, its fair to come to the conclusion that Kispert has an uphill battle ahead of him. However, if he plays his cards right, there is still a chance that Kispert could stick around, or find a better home. Despite not being the focal point of the offense, Kispert will still likely be given plenty of opportunity this season. Kispert is far from the perfect player, but at worst, he has proven himself as far more valuable at the NBA level then other young wings on Washingtons roster. As a result, he will be given opportunity early on. If Kispert can prove that he is still the elite shooter that he was drafted to be, it would be easy to imagine him in a Wizards uniform for the foreseeable future. Even if it is in general manager Will Dawkins plans to trade him this season, the Wizards will still be forced to play him in order to boost his trade stock — giving him a chance to prove himself.

Corey Kispert has caught fire in Q2 🔥

9pts in the past 7 minutespic.twitter.com/kdgB0nXpoY
— SleeperWizards (@SleeperWizards) October 17, 2025

Kispert is in a tough spot with the Wizards — no doubt. He has been put into a predicament where he is too good of a player to not get minutes, but not talented enough to featured in the teams long-term plans. As previously mentioned, Kispert will be given plenty of opportunity to prove himself this season. If he shows improvement, there is a chance that his tenure in Washington could be expanded. If not, then his future with the Wizards will be in jeopardy.

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