Corey Kispert Bio
Corey James Kispert is an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A sharpshooting small forward, he currently plays for the Atlanta Hawks after being traded from the Washington Wizards in January 2026. Kispert first rose to national attention as a senior at Gonzaga University, where he earned consensus first-team All-American honors and was named the top small forward in college basketball.
Standing 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) and weighing 224 lb (102 kg), Kispert built his reputation as one of the league’s most reliable perimeter shooters. He was selected 15th overall in the 2021 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards and spent the first four-plus seasons of his pro career in Washington before being dealt to Atlanta.
Early Life and Background
Corey James Kispert was born on March 3, 1999, in Edmonds, Washington. He grew up in the same Pacific Northwest community and attended King’s High School in nearby Shoreline, where he quickly developed into one of the state’s most decorated high school players. His size, fundamentals, and shooting touch set him apart from an early age.
As a junior, Kispert averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.3 steals per game, leading his team to its second consecutive state title and earning MVP honors of the State Championship Tournament. Rated a four-star recruit, he committed to Gonzaga over Notre Dame following his junior season. He was averaging 25 points per game as a senior before breaking his foot in February, an injury that cut short his final high school campaign.
Path to Basketball
Kispert arrived at Gonzaga in 2017 as a highly regarded recruit with a reputation for scoring and shooting. As a true freshman, he played in all 35 of the Bulldogs’ games with seven starts, averaging 6.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. His perimeter game and court awareness gave him a steady role right away.
He became a full-time starter entering his sophomore season, averaging eight points and 4.1 rebounds per game. The following year, as a junior, he entered the season on the Julius Erving Award watchlist and was Gonzaga’s only returning starter. He averaged 13.9 points per game, earned First-Team All-West Coast Conference honors, briefly declared for the 2020 NBA draft, and then withdrew to return for his senior year.
Corey Kispert Career
Early Career (2017–2021)
Kispert’s development at Gonzaga followed a steady upward arc across four college seasons. After a reserve role as a freshman and a productive sophomore campaign, he emerged as the Bulldogs’ leading scorer and primary perimeter option during his junior year. His 28-point performance against Southern Mississippi in the 2019 Battle 4 Atlantis and a 26-point outing against North Carolina that same season signaled his arrival as an elite college shooter.
His senior season cemented his place among the nation’s best. He scored his 1,000th career point against Kansas in the season opener, tied a school record with nine three-pointers and a 32-point career high against Virginia, and led Gonzaga to a 31–1 record that ended in the national championship game against Baylor. He averaged 18.6 points and five rebounds per game as a senior, was named WCC Player of the Year, and won the Julius Erving Award as the nation’s top small forward.
Washington Wizards Breakthrough (2021–2026)
The Washington Wizards selected Kispert with the 15th pick in the 2021 NBA draft and signed him to his rookie scale contract on August 4, 2021. He made his NBA debut on October 22, 2021, scoring two points in a 135–134 overtime win over the Indiana Pacers. As a rookie, he averaged 8.2 points per game while adjusting to the league’s pace and physicality.
Kispert’s scoring rose each season in Washington, jumping to 11.1 points per game in his second year and 13.4 points per game in his third year, establishing himself as a reliable starter. On October 21, 2024, he and the Wizards agreed to a four-year, $54 million contract extension, a strong vote of confidence in his long-term fit with the franchise.
Atlanta Hawks Era (2026–Present)
On January 9, 2026, Kispert was traded to the Atlanta Hawks alongside CJ McCollum in exchange for Trae Young, beginning a new chapter of his career. The move gave him an opportunity to expand his offensive role on a young Hawks roster in need of shooting and wing scoring.
Kispert wasted little time making an impact in Atlanta. On February 26, 2026, he recorded a career-high 33 points and six rebounds in a 126–96 victory over his former Washington teammates, showcasing the same perimeter shooting and offensive efficiency that defined his Wizards tenure.
Driving Style and Strengths
Kispert is widely regarded as one of the NBA’s most reliable three-point shooters, with a career 38.2% mark from beyond the arc. His 42.4% three-point shooting in his second NBA season ranked 10th in the league, and his nine three-pointers against the Orlando Magic in March 2023 tied for the second-most in a single game in Washington Wizards franchise history. He combines that perimeter shooting with strong positional size, smart off-ball movement, and consistent effort as a team defender.
Notable Events and Milestones
Beyond his career-best 33-point game in Atlanta, Kispert’s milestone moments include his nine three-pointer performance against Orlando, his 1,000th career collegiate point against Kansas, and his school-record-tying scoring night against Virginia in 2020. His four-year, $54 million contract extension in October 2024 stands as one of the most significant financial milestones of his professional career.
Corey Kispert Career Wins
Across his professional career, Corey Kispert has steadily built a reputation as a winning complementary scorer and elite shooter. His rookie extension and subsequent trade to a contending Atlanta Hawks roster reflect the value teams place on his three-point shooting and offensive efficiency.
NBA Highlights
As of early 2026, Kispert’s NBA career includes four-plus seasons with the Washington Wizards and his current run with the Atlanta Hawks. He has appeared in more than 200 regular season games and steadily increased his scoring average each year, peaking with his 33-point performance in February 2026. His rookie contract was followed by a four-year, $54 million extension signed in October 2024.
College Highlights
At Gonzaga, Kispert finished his career as a consensus first-team All-American, WCC Player of the Year, and Julius Erving Award winner. He helped lead the Bulldogs to a 31–1 record and a national championship game appearance in 2021, capping one of the most successful seasons in program history.
Corey Kispert Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Kispert comes from an athletic family with deep roots in American sports. He is the grandson of Dainard Paulson, a former American Football League player who holds that league’s record for most interceptions in a season. That connection to professional sports helped shape Kispert’s competitive approach and work ethic from a young age.
Personal Life
Kispert is a practicing Catholic. While attending Gonzaga, he met his wife, Jenn Wirth, a fellow basketball player for the Bulldogs. The couple married on July 7, 2023, at the Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano, California. Kispert and Wirth have built their life together around faith, family, and basketball.
2025 Season Performance
Corey Kispert’s 2024–25 season with the Washington Wizards was disrupted by injury but still showed his value as a shooter and secondary scorer. In 61 appearances before his campaign was cut short, he averaged 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, continuing the steady production that earned him a long-term extension the previous fall.
On March 18, 2025, the Wizards announced that Kispert would miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb. The injury was a setback, but his performance up to that point reinforced his standing as one of the league’s most consistent perimeter threats.
Entering the 2025–26 season, Kispert appeared in 19 games with two starts, averaging 9.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists before a fracture in the tip of his right thumb was diagnosed on November 27, 2025. The injury and a midseason trade to Atlanta reshaped the year, but his career-high 33-point game against Washington in February 2026 signaled that his shooting touch had not wavered.
