The Atlanta Hawks acquired Corey Kispert as a part of the trade that sent Trae Young to the Washington Wizards. The instant hope appeared to be that Kispert could provide value in a floor-spacing role in Atlanta, but optimism has quickly turned to pessimism depsite the team's success.
Kispert has struggled to find his form through 36 appearances and seven starts with the Hawks, but fans shouldn't be so quick to write him off.
Kispert played the better part of his first five NBA seasons with the Wizards. During that time, he built a reputation as a high-level three-point shooter capable of spacing the floor and situationally creating for his teammates.
Kispert finished his Wizards career with averages of 10.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.0 three-point field goals made on .475/.383/.802 shooting.
Unfortunately, Kispert is shooting just 33.8 percent from beyond the arc thus far with the Hawks. That's a sharp decline from what he was expected to offer a team in need of floor-spacing wings who can create wider driving lanes for franchise player Jalen Johnson.
Unfortunately, Kispert has now appeared in just one of the Hawks' past four games and last played at least 20 minutes on Mar. 12. Concerning as that may be, it doesn't signal the end.
Hawks wing Corey Kispert needs time to adjust to new environment
It's difficult to imagine a scenario in which Kispert has truly forgotten how to shoot the three-ball in an NBA setting. He shot 35.0 percent from beyond the arc as a rookie and buried 39.1 percent of his attempts over the next three seasons.
Kispert was even shooting 39.5 percent on 4.0 three-point field goal attempts per game at the time he was traded in 2025-26.
The more likely explanation is that Kispert has simply encountered a learning curve after a mid-season trade. He's assimilating to a new environment that includes the previously unknown tendencies of his new teammates and a system he had never previously played in. He's perhaps inevitably struggled to shoot at the level he's proven capable of.
For what it's worth: McCollum has also struggled in that regard, shooting 34.9 percent from beyond the arc since joining the Hawks in the same trade as Kispert—well below his career mark of 39.5.
Corey Kispert's inefficient shooting is more of an anomaly than a trend
The good news is that Kispert has quietly excelled as an off-ball defender, ranking in the 95th percentile in off-ball chaser defense and the 81st percentile in ball screen navigation, per Basketball Index. That at least shows a willingness to buy in to what the Hawks need from him.
With the benefit of a full offseason, perhaps Kispert could balance that off-ball defensive success with shooting that's closer to his personal standard in 2026-27.
The Hawks certainly have time to spare, as Kispert has two guaranteed seasons and a club option remaining on his contract. That was likely taken into consideration when the trade was completed, as Kispert is owed an average of $13.5 million per season. That couldn't have been taken on lightly.
With the playoffs nearing and sharpshooters having a long history of becoming postseason heroes, don't be surprised to see Kispert remind the skeptics of why Atlanta was willing to take the financial risk.