BILAL COULIBALY NEWS

Bilal Coulibaly teaching EuroBasket critics harsh lesson Wizards knew he would Bilal Coulibaly has silenced his doubters with his strong start to the season.

NOVEMBER 5 • WIZOFAWES.COM

Strong line in loss Coulibaly provided 15 points (5-11 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 2-3 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and two steals over 28 minutes during Monday's 119-102 loss to New York.

Impact Coulibaly turned in another good performance since returning from thumb surgery, helping out on both ends of the floor. Through three games, the 21-year-old wing is averaging 13.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks. His ability to contribute across the board makes him worthy of a look in most leagues.

NOVEMBER 4 • ROTOWIRE

Towns scores season-high 33 points to lead the Knicks past the Wizards, 119-102

Karl-Anthony Towns scored a season-high 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading the New York Knicks to a 119-102 victory over the Washington Wizards on Monday night

NOVEMBER 4 • Associated Press

Bilal Coulibaly's return changed the Wizards' rotation in a way nobody saw coming Bilal Coulibaly's return impacted the Wizards in an unexpected way..

NOVEMBER 4 • WIZOFAWES.COM

Posts 16 points in debut Coulibaly ended with 16 points (6-12 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks and one steal in 24 minutes during Thursday's 127-108 loss to the Thunder.

Impact Coulibaly started right away in his season debut, sending Bub Carrington to the bench. Although injuries limited Coulibaly to 59 games in his sophomore season, the 2024 first-round pick took a big step forward in his development as a regular producer for the Wizards. He's expected to retain his starting role at the four for the duration of the season, but the condition of his thumb should be monitored as he gets up to game speed.

OCTOBER 31 • ROTOWIRE

Gilgeous-Alexander scores 31 as the Thunder defeat the Wizards 127-108 and improve to 6-0

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Washington Wizards 127-108, improving to 6-0

OCTOBER 31 • Associated Press

Starting Thursday Coulibaly is in the starting lineup for Thursday's matchup with the Thunder.

Impact With Coulibaly starting, Bub Carrington will shift to the second unit, and his minutes could see a sizeable dip. Joining Coulibaly in the starting five will be CJ McCollum, Kyshawn George, Khris Middleton and Alex Sarr.

OCTOBER 30 • ROTOWIRE

Team option exercised The Wizards exercised their 2026-27 team option for Coulibaly on Thursday, Michael Scotto of USA Today reports.

Impact Coulibaly's option is valued at $9.24 million, and this decision was a no-brainer for the franchise. Coulibaly underwent a Sept. 12 surgery to address a ligament tear in his right thumb, but he's been cleared to make his 2025-26 debut against the Thunder on Thursday.

OCTOBER 30 • ROTOWIRE

To debut Thursday Coulibaly (thumb) will make his season debut Thursday against the Thunder, Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network reports.

Impact This is a huge development for the Wizards as they reintroduce their prized young forward back into the mix. He's likely to have restrictions in the early going, as this will be his first live action since his Sept. 12 surgery to address a ligament tear in his right thumb. With Coulibaly set to return, it will be interesting to see how the Wizards tweak their rotation because of how well Kyshawn George is playing.

OCTOBER 29 • ROTOWIRE

Ruled out for Tuesday Coulibaly (thumb) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against Philadelphia.

Impact Head coach Brian Keefe said Sunday that Coulibaly is considered day-to-day, though the team doesn't have a set timetable for his return, according to Ben Strober of 106-7 The Fan Washington. The 21-year-old swingman's next opportunity to make his season debut will come Thursday against the Thunder.

OCTOBER 27 • ROTOWIRE

Day-to-day, no timeline to debut Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said Sunday that Coulibaly (thumb) is considered day-to-day, but the third-year wing is without a timeline to make his 2025-26 debut, Ben Strober of...

Impact Coulibaly didn't play during the preseason and was a partial participant in practice as recently as a week ago, but it's unclear how much more on-court work the 21-year-old has been able to do since then. Though Keefe's comments suggest that the Wizards aren't anticipating him missing extensive time while he continues to work his way back from Sept. 12 surgery to address a ligament tear in his right thumb, Coulibaly should still be viewed as doubtful, at best, for the Wizards' next game Tuesday versus the 76ers.

OCTOBER 27 • ROTOWIRE

Mavericks host the Wizards in non-conference action

Dallas takes on Washington in a non-conference matchup

OCTOBER 23 • Associated Press

Bilal Coulibaly's status for the Wizards' season opener has been revealed Bilal Coulibaly's latest update reveals his availability for Wizards regular season opener,

OCTOBER 21 • WIZOFAWES.COM

Confirmed out for Wednesday Coulibaly (thumb) won't play Opening Night against the Bucks, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.

Impact No surprise here, as it's been widely reported that Coulibaly would miss the first week or two of the regular season. For now, fantasy managers can anticipate a return in early November if his rehab continues to progress well. Kyshawn George is likely to see an increased role to open the season as a result.

OCTOBER 20 • ROTOWIRE

Availability in question for opener Coulibaly (thumb) was a partial participant in practice Saturday, Varun Shankar of The Washington Post reports.

Impact Coulibaly participated in portions of contact drills during Saturday's practice as he recovers from right thumb surgery. Head coach Brian Keefe didn't offer much clarity on his status for Wednesday's regular-season opener against the Bucks, making his practice involvement over the next few days worth monitoring for a clearer outlook.

OCTOBER 19 • ROTOWIRE

Nobody in the Southeast was over .500 last year. All 5 teams expect to be better this season

The Southeast Division has a tough year last season

OCTOBER 14 • Associated Press

Bilal Coulibaly's silence might be the loudest statement for the Wizards' this season Bilal Coulibaly could be poised for a huge statement season to silence the noise.

OCTOBER 10 • WIZOFAWES.COM

Wembanyama's French teammates provides cautionary tale for Spurs As France fell in the EuroBasket tournament and saw Bilal Coulibaly get injured, the Spurs need to be thankful that their star is starting t...

SEPTEMBER 25 • AIRALAMO.COM

Bilal Coulibaly improvement could cement him as Wizards' building block Bilal Coulibaly has everything he needs to become the player the Wizards selected him to be.

SEPTEMBER 24 • WIZOFAWES.COM

Re-evaluated in three weeks Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said Wednesday that Coulibaly (thumb) will be re-evaluated in a few weeks, Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network reports.

Impact Dawkins said that based on Coulibaly's timetable, he's likely to miss all of training camp and return around the first or second week of the season. Coulibaly underwent surgery Sept. 12 to repair a ligament tear in his right thumb, but prospective fantasy managers will be relieved to hear that he's not facing an extended absence.

SEPTEMBER 24 • ROTOWIRE

Kyshawn George breakout odds just grew exponentially after Bilal Coulibaly injury Kyshawn George could be in store for a huge season following Bilal Coulibaly's latest injury setback.

SEPTEMBER 19 • WIZOFAWES.COM

Wizards' EuroBasket curse continues with latest Bilal Coulibaly setback The bad news from EuroBasket continues to hit the Wizards hard.

SEPTEMBER 12 • WIZOFAWES.COM