Report: Bilal Coulibaly Has Promise in OKC Thunder's Draft Range
In this story:
One of the fastest risers in the current draft class, French wing Bilal Coulibaly continues to increase his stock. After being promoted to the Metropolitans 92 team earlier this year, he’s proven he can perform at a high level of competition. The 18-year-old was originally thought to be more of a 2024 NBA Draft prospect, but is now a clear 2023 guy.
In fact, he is starting to gain lottery buzz. Earlier this week, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman reported that a team in the lottery, higher than pick No. 14, had potentially promised Coulibaly a selection.
Since it’s unlikely this was a team in the top ten, it could be safe to infer this was a franchise in the late lottery range. This would include the Toronto Raptors, Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic.
If it is Oklahoma City, it would make some sense. Thunder GM Sam Presti has proven to be fond of prospects that are late bloomers and hit growth spurts late in their teens while maintaining guard skills. That’s exactly the case for Coulibaly, who has grown nearly a foot over the past three years. He’s now 6-foot-6 with length and perimeter skills.
He also fills a position of need for the Thunder, who could use more positional size and true wing production. The OKC roster is very talented, so Coulibaly likely wouldn’t start from day one as a rookie. However, he absolutely has the upside to emerge as a starter early in his career.
Again, there’s no evidence to support Oklahoma City is the team that has promised Coulibaly, but the fact that he’s getting attention from lottery teams speaks to how impressive he has been over the past six months.
Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
