2023 NBA Draft Team Recap: Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards have been one of the biggest names during the 2023 NBA offseason with their decision to trade away stars Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis to go into a full rebuild after many years of living in the middle of the pack.
With the No. 7 overall pick - after moving up one spot to secure they would get their guy - the Wizards made Bilal Coulibaly the first selection of their new direction. Every year there seems to be a prospect that comes out of nowhere to make a rise into the lottery. While some speculated that player could be Kobe Bufkin from Michigan or Leonard Miller of the G League Ignite, it turned out to be the 18-year-old from France.
Much of Coulibaly’s recognition started from playing alongside No. 1 overall pick, Victor Wembanyama, but the rangy wing quickly warranted the attention.
After starting out the season playing in the LNB Pro B league he finished by helping the Mets 92 team to the finals of the LNB Pro A. Coulibaly is an advanced defender for his age and this is the end of the court where he will provide the most immediate impact.
While the foundation is there on the offensive end it does seem it will take a little more time. Through four games of NBA Summer League he is producing shooting splits of 41-18-68.
This may actually work out as a nice fit for Coulibaly and the Wizards as they already have their high usage offensive firepower after trading for Jordan Poole and re-signing Kyle Kuzma. The 6-foot-8 wing can start his career by focusing on his defensive impact and playing off of those two with timely cuts and offensive rebounds while he works on rounding out his game.
The second selection of the night for the Wizards was another overseas prospect in Tristan Vukcevic. The 7-footer really made a name for himself during the NBA Draft Combine scrimmages and that helped lead to his selection with the No. 42 overall pick. Vukcevic will look to add floor spacing from the big man position and there does seem to be a very clear path to minutes with Daniel Gafford being the only other big man on the roster that is locked up long term.
While they are not 2023 NBA Draft selections it should also be noted that the Wizards acquired Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins in the trade that brought Jordan Poole to the nation's capital and 2022 first round pick, Johnny Davis, is currently leading the summer league team in points per game.
It seemed like it was past due for the Wizards to take the direction the front office finally chose this offseason which means all eyes will be on this group of youngsters and their development.
Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.