Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly underwent surgery Friday in New York City to repair a ligament tear in his right thumb, the team announced on X.
Bilal Coulibaly To Miss Start Of 2025-26 NBA Season
Coulibaly is expected to miss the start of the 2025-26 regular season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The 21-year-old sustained the injury with the French national team during FIBA EuroBasket play.
In those six EuroBasket games, Coulibaly averaged 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds on 41.2% shooting from the field.
The Indiana Pacers selected Coulibaly with the seventh overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft before the Eastern Conference contender traded him to the Wizards on draft night.
With the Wizards in the 2023-24 season, he averaged 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 27.2 minutes in 63 games (15 starts) while shooting 43.5% from the floor and 34.6% from deep.
Coulibaly Averaged Career-High Numbers With Wizards
In 59 games (all starts) with Washington last season, Coulibaly averaged career highs of 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 33 minutes per contest while shooting 42.1% from the field.
The 6-foot-8 guard suffered a hamstring injury in early March and did not play the remainder of the season. His rookie campaign was also cut short when he sustained a season-ending wrist fracture in March 2024.
Because Washington is now without Coulibaly to begin the upcoming season, the Wizards will likely depend on a pair of veterans during his absence: 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.
Washington Re-Signed Anthony Gill, Waived Richaun Holmes
Last month, Washington also re-signed veteran wing Anthony Gill after waiving veteran big man Richaun Holmes in July. Holmes’ contract with the Wizards included a second season, but his $13.3 million salary for 2025-26 was nearly all non-guaranteed.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported last month that Holmes agreed to a two-year deal with Panathinaikos that will make him one of the highest-paid players in Europe. The former second-rounder appeared in 31 games with Washington in 2024-25.
In other news, ex-Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon inked a one-year deal with the New York Knicks on Friday. The former Sixth Man of the Year will be entering his 10th season in 2025-26.
Washington is coming off an 18-64 (.220) season, and the Wizards finished dead last in the Eastern Conference. They’ve failed each year to make the playoffs since 2021.
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