Mar 5, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24) warms up prior to the game between the Washington Wizards and the Utah Jazz at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Wizards Plan to Continue Utilizing Veteran Wing

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Sep 24, 2025 4:00 PM ET

Corey Kispert has felt like the Washington Wizards' forgotten man since well before this most recent summer offseason.

The former first-round draft pick was one of the few holdovers left aboard the team's stagnant ship when new management arrived over two years ago, and watched as fellow hand-picked prospect Deni Avdija was suddenly traded on the day of the 2024 NBA Draft. The front office was vocal about their prioritizing the freshly-drafted products over the veterans, leaving Kispert flapping in the wind while his long-term status remained in question.

Team General Manager Will Dawkins gave his first media appearance of the 2025-26 preseason earlier this week, and touched on how he views the 26-year-old wing's place within the team. The franchise favors whatever he's willing to continue providing as a role player, as well as how he's risen into the team's youngest veteran presence.

"Corey is someone that we're really excited about," Dawkins said. "When we came through, it was a deconstruction phase, and one the two players who remain were Corey and Anthony Gill for who they are, but also what they can do on the basketball court.

"Corey, someone who has been through different coaches, has been through different regimes, starting to figure out [head coach Brian Keefe's] style...He's definitely more comfortable now, the way he can finish, the way he can stretch the floor, but also the defensive gains he made. He's gonna have a huge impact on the team this year."

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

His current offerings as a shooter and finisher should come in handy for a Wizards perimeter core that's otherwise stacked with raw scorers like Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr and Will Riley, who are each still learning how to fit into an NBA offense and pick their moments, as well as the on-ball bucket-hunters like Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington, AJ Johnson and Cam Whitmore.

Kispert is at his best as a spot-up shooter, with his team finally loading up on players who could provide him with some space as passers and fellow spacers. His 36.4% clip from 3-point range wasn't pretty for his standards, but he's expected to bounce back to his usual 38+% after an injury-plagued campaign.

Dawkins also talked up his potential to impact the locker room through his experience and character, throwing him in with the obvious older veterans in CJ McCollum, Khris Middleton and, of course, Gill. After a summer peppered with speculation that he'd follow Jordan Poole out of Washington, one of the team's top decision-makers sounds set on utilizing Kispert as a player and as a locker room voice.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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