August is typically the slowest part of the year for NBA fans, but the Washington Wizards' faithful were spoiled this time. 2023 No. 7 overall pick Bilal Coulibaly and 2024 No. 2 pick Alex Sarr have gotten minutes with France in the EuroBasket tournament, while 2024 No. 24 pick Kyshawn George competed for Canada in the FIBA AmeriCup.
Sarr sustained a calf injury on Saturday that will keep him out for the rest of the competition, but he was productive in both games he played. The seven-foot, 205-pounder notched seven points (3-5 FG, 0-2 3 PT) with four rebounds in 17 minutes against Belgium on Thursday before tallying 12 points (5-6 FG, 1-2 3PT) with five rebounds, two blocks, and one steal across 22 minutes against Slovenia on Saturday. France won the first game 92-64 and the second 103-95.
Meanwhile, Coulibaly was similarly efficient in the first two contests before tapering off over the most recent two. The two-time NBA Rising Star recorded 12 points (5-11 FG, 0-4 3 PT) with seven rebounds, two blocks, and one steal against Belgium, followed by a 13-point (5-8 FG, 2-4 3 PT), four-rebound, one-assist, and one-steal outing against Slovenia. He combined for just seven points (2-6 FG, 0-4 3 PT) and nine fouls over the next two games against Israel and Poland, but he still has time to get back on track for his native country. France's final group stage game will be against Iceland on Thursday.
Lastly, George was a crucial piece to Canada's semifinal run. The 21-year-old led the team with 13.5 points per game (51.9 percent FG, 46.2 percent 3 PT) to go with 4.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals. He was named to the AmeriCup All-Star Five as a result, via the competition's social media.
All three players have Wizards fans excited online ahead of NBA training camps.
“I'm so serious when I say we should build around him [George],” @DMVDive said.
“On everything I love Kyshawn George is already better than Kyle Kuzma. Ky is the truth,” @WizardsMuse1said.
“Bilal looking good [fire emojis],” @ravenwizardd said.
“[Sarr] finished +23 across those two games, showcasing much more physicality around the rim on both ends of the floor while demonstrating better aggressiveness as a finisher,” @pointmadebball said.
“Can’t wait to watch [George] this year in the NBA. Feel like he is not talked about enough with Wizards' young core,” @bruihl2nance said.
International action guarantees nothing for their NBA careers, but each of these three players has progressed this summer.
Kyshawn George, Alex Sarr build on Summer League
Both George and Sarr also played two games each in the 2025 NBA Summer League, which took place from July 10-20. It was their first time playing alongside rookies Tre Johnson, Will Riley, and Jamir Watkins, which produced mixed results.
Sarr led all Summer League players with 5.5 blocks per game to go with a team-high eight rebounds and 15.5 points on 48 percent shooting, but he shot just 20 percent from deep and averaged four turnovers against two assists. On the other hand, George replicated Sarr's rebounding average despite being four inches shorter, while adding 17 points (41.2 percent FG, 23.5 percent 3 PT) with four assists, 3.5 turnovers, and four steals.
Between Summer League and EuroBasket, Sarr has shown that he's growing into an elite rim protector while improving on his two-point shooting efficiency (39.4 percent FG as a rookie). However, the 20-year-old is still not making three-pointers consistently after shooting 30.8 percent from deep last season, which limits his floor-spacing ability.
On the other hand, George was productive in all facets of the game this offseason despite also struggling from beyond the arc in Summer League. The former Miami Hurricane improved in that area during the AmeriCup, which was a continuation of his second-half improvement from last season. For example, he shot 44.4 percent from long range in February after shooting 26.7 percent in December.
All in all, it's fair to say that George's stock is the highest, especially considering Coulibaly's inconsistent play for France entering his third NBA season. However, each of them has displayed the talent that convinced Washington to draft them, and these summer reps are crucial for their development as training camp approaches.
