The Washington Wizards' young players have stepped up on an injury-riddled squad, but now they'll need to do even more. Sixth man Corey Kispert (thumb) is officially out for the season as of Tuesday, via Wizards PR.
“INJURY UPDATE: Guard-forward Corey Kispert underwent a successful surgical procedure today in New York City to repair a ligament tear to his left thumb,” the team announced. “The injury was sustained in the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets on March 15. Kispert is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the start of next season.”
The 26-year-old averaged 11.6 points on 45.1 percent (36.4 percent 3 PT) shooting with three rebounds and 1.7 assists in 26.3 minutes. With Bilal Coulibaly (hamstring) and now Kispert gone, Washington will depend on its rookie class of Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, and AJ Johnson to support the veterans.
Kispert, one of the last holdovers from the Wizards' previous regime, didn't start any games this season for the first time in his career. The new administration prioritizes developing its young talent, so the Gonzaga alum was relegated to a supporting role. However, he leads all of its bench players in minutes.
Related Washington Wizards NewsArticle continues below
Kispert's 61 games played this season are a career-low, as he played at least 74 in his previous three campaigns. The 6-foot-6, 224-pounder signed a four-year, $54 million rookie scale extension with Washington on Oct. 21, via Spotrac. The deal has a club option for the 2028-29 season.
The Wizards drafted Kispert at No. 15 overall in 2021. The Washington State native had a career year last season, averaging 13.4 points on 48.6 percent shooting (38.3 percent 3 PT) with 2.8 rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes. He also played a personal-high 80 games.
Kispert's best game this year was his 25-point (9-13 FG, 5-9 3 PT), four-rebound, four-assist, and one-steal outing against the Charlotte Hornets on Feb. 3. The Wizards won 124-114, and he was second only to Coulibaly in points (26).