Bilal Coulibaly’s Eurobasket injury could be major blow for Wizards team aiming to solidify young core

Washington Wizards star Bilal Coulibaly underwent a surgical procedure on Friday to repair a ligament tear in his right thumb, the team announced. Coulibaly’s injury, which was sustained while playing for France in FIBA Eurobasket, is “likely” to impact his availability for the start of the 2025-26 season, ESPN reported.

In the six games he played in during the event, Coulibaly, 21, averaged 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 41.2% from the field.

Coulibaly, the No. 7 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign. He averaged 12.3 points. 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists while starting 59 games for Washington.

During his rookie season, Coulibaly, a teammate of San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama on Metropolitans 92 in France, was slowly integrated into Washington’s rotation. He averaged 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists while starting just 15 games in his 63 total appearances. In each of Coulibaly’s first two seasons with the team, the Wizards have failed to reach the 20-win mark.

What does this mean for the Wizards?

Losing Coulibaly for the start of the season would be a major blow for Washington. The Wizards have built one of the most interesting young cores in the league, headlined by Coulibaly, former No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr and rookies Tre Johnson and Will Riley. Former Rockets forward Cam Whitmore and two more former first-round picks, AJ Johnson and Kyshawn George, are also expected to be part of the rotation this season.

Johnson, who was selected No. 6 overall this past summer, was considered one of the best 3-point shooters in his class. During summer league action in Las Vegas, he finished 14 for 24 (58.3%) from the field and went 5 for 11 from beyond the arc. Johnson has the second-best odds (+850 per FanDuel Sportsbook) to win NBA Rookie of the Year behind Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick.

While the nucleus of Washington’s roster is its young core, the Wizards still have a pair of veterans who are in line for serious minutes this season: CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton. McCollum was acquired this summer in the deal that sent Jordan Poole to the New Orleans Pelicans, while Washington added Middleton at last season’s trade deadline in the Kyle Kuzma deal.

Though Washington was still not expected to compete for a playoff berth this season, the organization was expected to take a jump after winning 18 games last season and 15 the year prior. The Wizards are +3000 to make the playoffs this season, per FanDuel, which is the second-longest odds in the conference, only behind the Brooklyn Nets (+3500).