Bilal Coulibaly Set to Return for Wizards on Thursday
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Washington Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly has been cleared to play and is expected to make his 2025/26 season debut on Thursday in Oklahoma City, head coach Brian Keefe told reporters on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old underwent surgery last month to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb, an injury sustained while representing France at EuroBasket 2025. The procedure sidelined him for the entire preseason and the Wizards’ first four regular-season games.
Selected seventh overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, Coulibaly started every game he played last season, posting averages of 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 33.0 minutes across 59 appearances. He shot 42.1 percent from the field and 28.1 percent from three-point range.
Washington has opened the new campaign with a starting lineup of Bub Carrington, CJ McCollum, Kyshawn George, Khris Middleton and Alex Sarr, a unit that carries a net rating of -7.2 in 69 minutes. Keefe did not specify whether Coulibaly will immediately reclaim a starting spot or come off the bench.
The forward is among six Wizards players with rookie-scale team options for the 2026/27 season. The club faces a Friday deadline to decide on those options and is widely expected to exercise Coulibaly’s $9.24 million fourth-year salary.
Source: Hoops Rumors
