PHILADELPHIA — Corey Kispert stood outside of the Washington Wizards locker room Wednesday night, sneakers in his left hand, dapping up assistants and support staff as he left Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena. As he exited the building as a Washington Wizard for the final time, he made sure to thank nearly everyone in his path.
Kispert, along with CJ McCollum, was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a deal that sends four-time All-Star point guard Trae Young to Washington. With the Wizards facing the Philadelphia 76ers and the Hawks also playing, the news unfolded in real time.
McCollum stood outside of the locker room immediately after Philadelphia’s 131-110 win over the Wizards, having prolonged conversation. Young exchanged handshakes and hugs with Atlanta assistant coach Tony Lang and the rest of the Hawks bench. Even Sixers coach Nick Nurse had a feeling something was coming, entering his postgame news conference asking reporters whether the deal was done.
When asked whether Nurse had an inkling of the impending trade, his answer said it all.
“Someone said those two guys didn’t play because they were sick,” Nurse said. “But, when I saw them, they didn’t look very sick to me.”
Inside the Wizards locker room, factions of players talked among themselves, discussing different topics as they processed the moment. Washington has one of the youngest rosters in the league, and many of those players are now learning how to deal with the business of the NBA for the first time.
“The biggest thing that we need to realize is that it’s a part of the game,” Wizards forward Marvin Bagley III said. “We have to stick with it. We have to wish well to the guys who are leaving, and we have to stick with it. We know that it’s a long season, and sometimes change happens. So, we have to keep our minds right.”
Trading for a veteran such as Young makes some sense. The Wizards’ roster is heavy with rookies and second-year players who could benefit from a veteran presence. But how much Young plays in his new town with his new team remains to be seen. In the meantime, the Wizards have won five of their last eight games and are beginning to come together as a unit and developing some sense of rhythm and identity.
That rhythm is now being disrupted, and how Washington’s roster adjusts will tell a lot about the year.
“I dealt with seeing a trade last year, and it was kind of awkward,” Wizards forward Kyshawn George said. “I think it will be a lot like how I handled it last year. I’ll thank the people that helped me and wish them the best. And then, as a team, we have to welcome the people coming in with open arms. We have to do what we need to do, in order to put ourselves in the best position to succeed.
“We have to figure it out as a team. We’re going to do that, and then, we’re going to get to work.”