Wizards 2025-26 Player Grades: Bilal Coulibaly

All eyes were on Bilal Coulibaly entering this past Washington Wizards regular season. He'll be up for the rookie extension negotiating period this summer, making him the first member of the franchise's prospect pool to force the organization's hand with the three-year deadline, and had yet to demonstrate much consistency or growth over his two previous oft-injured campaigns.

Wizards On SI writers Bryson Akins and Henry J. Brown attempted to contextualize how his strong season-ending run of positive indicators fit in with all that he's demonstrated before this past fall and everything in between.

"Bilal Coulibaly had a rough start to the season. He had to miss the first few games due to surgery after an injury in international play. Once he came back, he looked decent. That is it, not great or standing out in any way, just kind of there. This is not saying he was bad, but he was just alright, nothing special.

"Then, in February, the Coulibaly fans saw a different version. He was releasing his shot quicker, which led to him shooting 38.7 percent from three-point range after the All-Star break. This was the step the front office needed from him: improving as a shooter, so he is not a liability on offense."

Washington Wizards Guard Bilal Coulibaly — Mar 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) secures the ball during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

"He still has some room to grow in other areas, like becoming a more consistent shooter and adding some muscle. The offseason is the perfect time for that, though. This season was looking like it would be another rough one for the third-year player, but he turned it around and showed some signs of life." - Bryson Akins

Bryson's Grade: B-

"I see it this way: Coulibaly wasn't viewed as a prospect who was guaranteed a second substantial contract with the Wizards before the season, let alone a few months ago, yet here he now stands as a guy who's all-but-clinched security with the team through the decade's end. He played his way into that position, and though he's still on the rawer side, Coulibaly's shown to be worthy of investment.

"Those early injury concerns played into underlying doubts as to whether the Frenchman could handle the grind of the NBA's regular season, as he's still yet to appear in 65 or more games through a completed campaign. And through 44 games, he'd yet to prove dependable not only as a regular on the Wizards' injury report, but also as a rebuilding fixture. The 3-ball had stagnated, he was shooting under 40% from the field and Coulibaly had never looked more tentative as a scorer.

"But when March hit, everything seemed to change. It's a period that's known for garnering suspect statlines out of fringe-starters feasting while stars and teams alike let go of the rope as the regular season schedule winds down, but the wing's play with and without other lead options opened eyes."

Washington Wizards Guards Will Riley and Bilal Coulibaly — Feb 20, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Will Riley (27) celebrates a dunk with guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) against the Indiana Pacers during the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

"With a natural lob-passer in Trae Young joining the squad, Coulibaly was finally offered some semblance of structure. The athletic finisher was exquisite in challenging the rim as an off-ball cutter while leveraging that improved jumper against defenders, and managed to translate that enhanced aggression and confidence into more vacant lineups later in the season after Young made his permanent return to the IR.

"The rate at which he got shots up may not be sustainable alongside a fully healthy starting lineup, a five-man group in which Coulibaly's yet to guarantee a spot, but Wizards fans have a much better idea as to how he can factor into winning in a more simplified role. His jump in offensive control has combined with his natural defensive instincts to assure fans that he's worth prioritizing entering the next phase of Washington's master plan, with the high-upside former lottery pick finally inching closer to tapping into his full potential." - Henry J. Brown

Henry's Grade: B

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