Reporters' Roundtable: What Bilal Coulibaly Extension Details Should Wizards Fans Expect?

By no means have the Washington Wizards put their fans through a sleepy summer of news. They laid their latest (and biggest) NBA Draft-related building block yet in welcoming AJ Dybantsa aboard the squad, and wasted no time in committing to his star backcourt-mate in Trae Young. The teardown period of the rebuild is over, and the Wizards' front office has clearly had no issue in pivoting to a more aggressive roster-fortifying mindset.

Even still, a few lingering unanswered Wizards-related questions continue bouncing around Washington's basketball spaces. What's their plan on handling a potentially-antsy Anthony Davis amidst his hunt for a hefty extension? How will they replace Jamir Watkins' defensive impact now that he's expected to miss the upcoming season following his announced ACL tear? And arguably most pressing of all, is there any update regarding Bilal Coulibaly's own chase for long-term security?

Washington Wizards Guard Bilal Coulibaly — Mar 27, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) dribbles against the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That's the sort of decision that Wizards' management can't simply "wait and see" on without causing a stir. Decisions between rising-fourth year players and their franchises have to be made before the start of the coming regular season, and a lack of consensus pauses conversations until the following summer.

It's not like he'll be cut between schedules if the two sides can't come to an agreement, but restricted free agency after a draftee's fourth campaign is usually awkward when all of those involved know that the organization passed on extending a young player when they had their first chance. And Coulibaly's a unique case; picked at No. 7 in the 2023 NBA Draft, the raw prospect spent years struggling to consistently progress between the flashes of athletic greatness alongside his quicker-growing teammates before getting trapped in the waiting game.

It was only until the latter weeks of this past season where he finally seemed to take meaningful steps forward as an on-ball shooter and creator- not a moment too soon for contract talks. I united some other reporters within the Wizards' orbit to get some perspectives: is Coulibaly getting an extension before this autumn's tip-off, and how much does everyone think a hypothetical contract would cost?

Isaac Agyekum-Harris, Capital Hoop Caucus

"Bilal does sign, but it’d be to another three-year extension on top of it with a player option or team option."

Bryson Akins, Wizards On SI

"Yes, Bilal gets an extension this summer. It makes too much sense to go ahead and extend him while the value will be cheap. There is no telling what he will get, but recent reports from Marc Stein suggest Cason Wallace potentially getting $25 million annually. If Wallace is a $25 million player, then Bilal is somewhere in the $15 million range, cheaper than what was originally anticipated of 10% of the cap.

"I am expecting a deal somewhere in the four-year range. I would anticipate it being $70 million over four years, but it could also be $80 million over four years. There is also the potential of $60 million or cheaper over four years. Just depends on how much the front office believes in Coulibaly down the line."

Bilal Coulibaly — One of the NBA’s Best Young Dunkers 😤🔥 pic.twitter.com/KI3jr8K0Nf
— Locked In Hoops (@LockedInHoops_) July 28, 2026

Abdullah Ayubi, Locked On Wizards

"Yes, I'm assuming a very team-friendly [deal]. $60 million over four years? First draft pick of the Will Dawkins era and still hasn't reached his offensive potential."

Greg Finberg, The Wizards Podcast /Bullets Forever

"My guess is the Wizards, as they did for Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert, hand out a rookie-scale extension to Bilal Coulibaly. Coulibaly has displayed elite on-ball defensive skills and shown an ability to match up against the opposing team’s best offensive player. He needs to add a more consistent outside jumper and overall improve as an offensive player, but his defense alone should warrant an extension. A deal in the range of four years and $64 million makes sense for both parties."

Jarrett L. Spence, The Lead

"Maybe $80m/4 years. He hasn’t made a significant leap to me and his rookie year was the most games he’s played at 63."

Ben Strober, Locked On Wizards

"I think he gets signed pretty close to the start of the season. Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert extensions also came at similar times. I think a four-year deal worth $75-80 Million could be the range you’re looking at. If the Wizards plan on giving larger contracts out to Alex Sarr or Kyshawn George eventually, this could be a solid deal for both sides."

Josh Valdez, ClutchPoints

"I predict that Bilal signs a four-year, $60 Million deal this summer. $15 Million per year with a team option for the fourth year."

Back to Henry to Recap

It seems like everyone's bracing for a deal before the summer's timer runs out, particularly one that wouldn't eat too deeply into the Wizards' financial future.

An agreement coming together before then makes sense if we're holding Washington's evaluators accountable after the amount of times they've preached patience regarding Coulibaly's nonlinear process for improvement. For reference, top-10 picks normally earn that second vote of confidence out of those who believed in them enough to cash in such a premium asset on them.

And as if anyone needs reminding, Coulibaly is the George Washington of this arduous rebuild. He's toughed out three long seasons of draft lottery-focused hoops in D.C., and stands to gain more than just about any Wizards prospect as the cutting athlete born to work off-ball alongside Young. The "prove-it" season is upon us, but the franchise will have to reveal their hand well before next opening night to avoid their first standoff.

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