The Washington Wizards are mired in the depths of yet another losing season, which means another open market on all their veteran players during trade season. With Corey Kispert certain to draw interest around the NBA, has he already played his last game for the franchise?
Through 23 games this season, the Wizards are 3-20. Last year, through 23 games they were...3-20. 2023-24? That's right, 3-20. The franchise deserves credit for finally realizing what needed to happen and making the painful moves to tear down the roster and enter a full rebuild. That hasn't made it any easier for fans to watch abject losing on a nightly basis.
As any good tanking team does, the Wizards will be approaching this year's Trade Deadline as sellers. The unofficial start to the trade season is December 15th, when players who signed free agent contracts with new teams are eligible to be traded. That includes Washington players such as Marvin Bagley III and Anthony Gill.
It's unlikely that teams are lining up to trade for Bagley and Gill, and the Wizards are likely not open to trading their young prospects like Bilal Coulibaliy and Kyshawn George. The class of player likely to be on the trade block are the proven veterans. The Wizards would love to find value in a deal involving Khris Middleton or CJ McCollum; taking back future salary for draft assets is a common move for tanking teams.
Corey Kispert could be traded
There is one player who falls within a sweet spot who could generate trade interest on his own, and that is Corey Kispert. The former Gonzaga marksman has established himself as a solid player with a consistent jumper, but as his 27th birthday approaches, he no longer fits within the "young core" of the roster.
Kispert is under contract for this season and three more at less than the Mid-Level Exception; he makes $14 million this year and next, then just $13 million the following two years, with a team option on the final season in 2028-29. That is a very team-friendly deal for a player who can shoot and not get entirely shredded on defense.
Shooting can help a young team grow, so the Wizards could elect to keep him around, but if a team comes in with a solid offer it would not be surprising to see Corey Kispert traded. As NBA trade season kicks off on Monday, his name is near the top of the list of players expected to be moved.
The wrinkle added into the situation is that Kispert has been out for weeks with a fractured thumb and could be out for a few more. That is not an injury that is expected to linger or impact his level of play long-term, but it would mean a team is trading for Kispert without seeing him back on the court.
If he were dealing with a muscle strain or a lower body injury, it would likely be expected that teams would wait for Kispert to return and establish himself before pulling the trigger on a deal. With Kispert's injury a fracture and not affecting his conditioning, a deal is more likely.
Teams will have interest in Kispert and could come calling with a deal any time, and with dozens of NBA players becoming trade eligible on Monday, it is very possible that Kispert becomes one of the first players moved.
That would place his final game for the team in the rearview mirror, a November 25th NBA Cup win over the Atlanta Hawks where Kispert dropped 19 points, four triples and three steals. It was an excellent final impression to leave interested teams.
Could that have been Kispert's last performance in a Wizards uniform? Could it all be over after 309 games in the nation's capital? Perhaps not, but the gates to a trade are about to open up.