Wizards Get Massive Bilal Coulibaly Injury News

The Washington Wizards' injury news is not stopping whatsoever for the summer. A few weeks ago, it was reported that Alex Sarr left EuroBasket due to an injury in his calf. Now, his French teammate Bilal Coulibaly has also suffered an injury from his time in EuroBasket and underwent surgery to repair a legament tear. This is a brutal blow not just to Coulibaly but also to the team, as this is a huge evaluation year for the third-year forward.

The news broke on September 12, via ESPN's Shams Charania. Shams reported that the ligament tear is in Coulibaly's right thumb and is likely to miss time to start the regular season. It was confirmed that the injury occurred during EuroBasket, not afterwards. This could be a sign of his drop-off in production in the latter games of the tournament.

Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly underwent surgery Friday to repair a ligament tear in his right thumb and is likely to miss time into the regular season, sources tell ESPN. Coulibaly sustained the injury with the French national team during FIBA EuroBasket play.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 12, 2025

Coulibaly has played two seasons in the NBA so far and is entering a crucial third season. He will be extension eligible next offseason, so the front office was keeping an eye on the young forward to watch his progression or regression, as trading him is an option on the table. In two seasons so far, Coulibaly has averaged 10.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and shots on average of 42.7 percent from the field.

Last season, Coulibaly's efficiency took a drop, especially from behind the arc. His three-point percentage dropped from 34.6 percent in his rookie season to 28.1 percent in his second year. This was a concern that fans were hoping would be addressed and answered during EuroBasket. For his first two games in the group stage, Coulibaly looked like he had progressed in all facets of the game. After his third game in the group stage, though, his production fell off a cliff.

It is not confirmed that this was the game in which Coulibaly suffered the injury. Still, by examining the stats and production, it is safe to assume it occurred either during the game against Slovenia or Israel. The game against Slovenia is also the one where it is assumed teammate Sarr was injured, as well.

Thoughts on the Coulibaly news:

• He trailed off at end of EuroBasket — just 9 pts over final 3 games. Maybe thumb injury contributed to poor shooting? Hope he doesn’t miss much time.

• Opens clear lane for Kyshawn George to start. Means more minutes for Cam Whitmore as well.
— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) September 12, 2025

Now that the Wizards are missing their starting forward from last season, the pressure will shift to young gun Kyshawn George and the newest member of the squad, Cam Whitmore. George had a great time with Team Canada in the FIBA AmeriCup tournament, receiving some high praise. Whitmore also provides some more depth at the forward position. Losing your starting power forward, though, does not help out at all, especially since that is the area the Wizards are lacking in, according to Bleacher Report.

All that can be done now is to hope that Coulibaly recovers quickly and without complications, as training camp and the preseason starts soon.

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