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Washington Wizards swingman Corey Kispert has progressively improved since getting drafted in 2021, and now he gets a pay raise. The Wizards inked the Gonzaga alum to a new deal just one hour before Monday's 6 PM EST deadline.
Kispert is committed to Washington for four more years, via NBA insider Marc Stein.
“Corey Kispert and the Wizards have agreed to a four-year, $54 million contract extension, Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman of @PrioritySports tell @TheSteinLine,” Stein reported. “The rising swingman and Washington come to terms in advance of today's 6 PM ET deadline on a rookie-scale extension.”
Kispert's deal is fully guaranteed and has an average annual salary of $13.5 million. The 25-year-old can be traded at any time, but the contract has a “poison pill” provision until July 1, 2025, making it harder for Washington to trade him before that date, giving the player protection and peace of mind. Poison pills employ complicated salary-matching rules, although it isn't guaranteed to prevent a deal, via NBA salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan.
“The team-friendly extensions for Moses Moody and Corey Kispert still make them viable to be traded this season,” Gozlan explained.” The poison pill provision would make Moody's incoming salary count as $11.2 million, which could fit into a team's non-taxpayer mid-level exception.”
“Kispert's would be $11.9 million, which is less than the NT-MLE, but couldn't be acquired with it since he's currently got five years on his contract (current + 4 more). But the expanded trade rules make it a manageable number for interested teams to make a deal work,” Gozlan continued.
Kispert averaged 13.4 points on 48.6% shooting with 2.8 rebounds and two assists per game across 80 contests last season. The 6-foot-7, 220-pounder provides the Wizards with a reliable perimeter shooting option and is still improving.
Will Kispert break out this season?
Corey Kispert's extension is another good move by Wizards
Kispert is the poster child for the type of player a team should retain. The 2021 first-round pick is a young and ascending shooter with size who can also push players like Bilal Coulibaly to be their best as they compete for minutes. Additionally, Kispert's contract is team-friendly and gives Washington control of his rights until 2029.
Kispert played well in the preseason, highlighted by a 20-point effort on 63.6% shooting against the Toronto Raptors on October 11. Expect the 2021 consensus first-team All-American to continue rising the NBA totem pole this season, as he's nearly guaranteed to get plenty of playing time.
