Wizards wing Corey Kispert will miss the rest of the 2024/25 season after undergoing surgery on Tuesday in New York City to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, the team announced (via Twitter).
According to the Wizards, Kispert is expected to make a full recovery from the injury – which he sustained in the third quarter on Saturday vs. Denver – prior to the start of next season.
Kispert made 61 appearances off the bench for the Wizards this season, averaging 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 26.3 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .451/.364/.852. A talented outside shooter, the former Gonzaga standout has knocked down 38.2% of 5.2 three-point attempts per game over the course of his four-year NBA career.
Kispert was one of 11 players to sign a rookie scale extension during the 2024 offseason, having finalized a four-year, $54MM deal that will go into effect in 2025/26. He’s the second of those 11 rookie extension recipients to be ruled out with a season-ending injury in the past 24 hours — Pelicans swingman Trey Murphy sustained a shoulder injury on Monday that will prevent him from suiting up again in ’24/25.
With Kispert sidelined for the rest of the season and Bilal Coulibaly likely in the same boat due to a hamstring injury, there will be more playing time open on the wing in D.C. for players further down on the depth chart.
AJ Johnson, Jaylen Martin, and Colby Jones are among the players who should be in line for increased roles. All three established new career highs in minutes on Monday in Portland with Kispert on the shelf — Johnson played 35 minutes, Martin played 28, and Jones logged 25.