The upcoming NBA season tips off on October 21. In the meantime, teams around the league are preparing for training camp, which begins in late September. The Washington Wizards are a young team to keep an eye on as the organization continues to rebuild. However, they may be without one of their key contributors in Bilal Coulibaly, to begin the season.
Reports indicate that Coulibaly, who is 21 years old, underwent surgery on his thumb on Friday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Bilal Coulibaly was forced to repair a torn ligament in his thumb that he injured during the FIBA EuroBasket competition playing for Team France.
“Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly underwent surgery Friday to repair a ligament tear in his right thumb and is likely to miss time into the regular season, sources tell ESPN. Coulibaly sustained the injury with the French national team during FIBA EuroBasket play.”
It's not entirely clear how many games Coulibaly could miss for the Wizards. But it could be a good chunk of the beginning of the 2025-26 season, as the recovery time for the surgery he received can take up to three months. If that's the case, Bilal Coulibaly may not see the court until sometime in December.
The former first-round pick is deemed one of the marquee players the Wizards are building around. After a roller coaster of a rookie year, he seemed to settle down and show improvement in his second season. Bilal Coulibaly ended the 2024-25 campaign averaging 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 42.1% from the floor and 28.1% from beyond the three-point line.
It'll be interesting to see how the Wizards navigate the first portion of the regular season without Coulibaly. It may mean that rookie Tre Johnson sees an extended amount of playing time right out of the gate. Other rookies who could make an impact for Washington this season include Will Riley and Jamir Watkins.
