The Washington Wizards traded for Jordan Poole from the Golden State Warriors during draft day, and apparently, the sharpshooter didn't waste time embracing his new team and its rookie in Bilal Coulibaly.
After the Wizards made the surprise move of the 2023 NBA Draft to select Coulibaly with the seventh overall pick, Poole was one of the first players to reach out to him and welcome the French youngster to Washington.
Coulibaly revealed as much when speaking to the media during his Wizards introduction on Saturday, sharing that Poole shared his excitement to work alongside him in D.C.
“Jordan Poole sent me a text, ‘Welcome to D.C., can't wait to start working and playing with you,'” Coulibaly said.
Article Continues Below"Jordan Poole sent me a text, 'Welcome to DC, can't wait to start working and playing with you.'"
Bilal Coulibaly on if any of his Wizards teammates reached out when he got draftedpic.twitter.com/WlhwrWDyoF
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 25, 2023
Bilal Coulibaly is one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft. Projections had him as a second-round pick a few months back, but he increased his draft stock in the buildup to the draft. His Mets 92 teammate and San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama even gave him a Top 5 endorsement before the annual rookie selection.
While many think the Wizards were reaching by trading up and selecting him at No. 7, no one can deny that he has plenty of tools that can make him a high-reward project for Washington. He's known for his incredible athleticism, and he has tons of potential to develop into an elite two-way player. Coulibaly's offense leaves much to be desired, but he showed in the French league that he has what it takes to elevate that part of his game.
It will definitely be interesting to see how he develops alongside Jordan Poole in Washington. The Wizards are in full rebuild mode, but they may have just gotten the pieces they need to jumpstart their return to playoff contention.