Washington Wizards wing Bilal Coulibaly will be sidelined to begin the season after undergoing surgery on his right thumb. The 21-year-old suffered the injury while competing with the French national team at EuroBasket.
Coulibaly had surgery to repair a torn ligament in the thumb and is expected to miss six to eight weeks, according to RG. Washington’s opener is set for Oct. 22 on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks. Coulibaly’s recovery timetable means he will almost certainly miss that game and could remain out into November.
Even if the recovery leans toward the shorter end of the timeline, Coulibaly will need a ramp-up before returning to game action. That process typically involves progressing from conditioning work to non-contact drills before being cleared for full contact. The recovery timeline for thumb surgery is not one to rush.
“Usually, you’re not touching a basketball, unless it’s just to do off-hand work, until that six-week mark,” a source told RG. “Then he’d have to do contact work before playing.”
The injury is the latest setback for a player whose second NBA season ended prematurely. Coulibaly averaged 12.3 points, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 2024–25 before a hamstring issue forced him to miss the final 23 games. His efficiency also dipped, with his 3-point percentage dropping to 28.1% after he connected at 34.6% as a rookie.
Despite the inconsistency, Washington remains committed to Coulibaly as a central piece of its rebuild. With Khris Middleton’s veteran presence, Coulibaly’s defensive versatility and athleticism are expected to pair with 2025 first-round pick Tre Johnson to form the foundation of the team’s wing rotation. The Wizards can deploy Kyshawn George on the wing as well.
The Wizards’ concerns are not limited to Coulibaly. His teammate with both the French national team and Washington, Alex Sarr, pulled out of EuroBasket due to a calf injury. The 2024 lottery pick’s status for training camp remains to be determined.
For a franchise placing its future on the development of young players, the timing of the injuries is a hurdle. The Wizards have emphasized growth and long-term planning under a new front office regime, but keeping key players healthy has been a challenge. Now, they will miss having Coulibaly at training camp.
As Washington prepares to begin camp later this month, Coulibaly’s recovery will be closely monitored. His likely absence when the team tips off against the Bucks adds importance to depth early in the season, with the hope he can rejoin the lineup sooner rather than later.
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