Hawks have trade interest in Wizards’ Corey Kispert

The Hawks have another name circled as they explore the Trae Young market.

According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, Atlanta has interest in Corey Kispert and would like to land the Wizards sharpshooter if the two teams ultimately complete a deal involving Young.

Kispert’s season has been stop-and-start. Thumb and hamstring injuries have limited him to 19 games, but when healthy he’s been productive in his role, averaging 9.2 points in just under 20 minutes per night while shooting nearly 40 percent from three.

The financial mechanics matter here. The Wizards are well below the luxury tax and have room to absorb salary, but matching Young’s $46 million cap hit would require more than CJ McCollum’s $30.7 million expiring deal. Additional contracts would be needed to make the math work.

Washington could include smaller expiring salaries such as Malaki Branham, but Kispert’s $14 million deal also bridges that gap. That’s where Atlanta’s hesitation comes in.

Kispert is in the first season of a four-year, $54 million extension, fully guaranteed for two additional seasons beyond this one. Acquiring him would eat into Atlanta’s future flexibility, though the Hawks would still create significant savings by removing Young’s $49 million player option for 2026-27 from their books.

Washington remains Young’s preferred destination, but Atlanta still has weeks to survey the market and sort through draft compensation. Nothing is imminent. Still, Stein reports that if a deal does come together, McCollum and Kispert are increasingly viewed as the likely pieces heading to Atlanta.

Interestingly, both players are sidelined. Kispert is out Wednesday in Philadelphia due to left hamstring management, while McCollum will miss his first game of the season with right quad soreness.