NBA
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#0

Bilal Coulibaly

Guard · Washington Wizards · 6'7", 195 lb · Born Jul 26, 2004 · Saint-Cloud, France · Drafted 7th overall, 2023
🥈 Olympic silver (2024)🇫🇷 FranceTwo-way wingWembanyama teammate
NBAWashington WizardsGuards
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In short

Bilal Coulibaly is a long, athletic French two-way wing for the Washington Wizards, drafted 7th in 2023 (via Indiana). A former teammate of Victor Wembanyama at Metropolitans 92, he became a starting-caliber perimeter defender and secondary playmaker, won Olympic silver with France in 2024, and profiles as a foundational two-way piece of Washington's rebuild.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceFri, Nov 13
@Utah JazzDrop coverage
Proj. points
11.8
range 9.1–14.5
Line 11.5
53%
to go over
Team win
38%
112–114
Poi 11.8 Lean overReb 4.3 Lean underAss 2.6 Lean overPRA 18.6 Lean over
Likely on himJaren Jackson Jr.· 80 Perimeter DStrong defender
10+ pts73%15+ pts14%

Model lines Coulibaly at 11.8 pts (range 9.1–14.5) vs a 11.5 line — a lean to clear it (53%).

Model favors Utah Jazz (62%), projected 112–114, ~226 total at 96.5 pace.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Coulibaly
The Coulibaly Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
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A long, athletic French two-way wing — perimeter defense and playmaking for Washington's rebuild.

A Wembanyama teammate at Metropolitans 92, Coulibaly was drafted 7th in 2023 and his rights traded to Washington.

🇫🇷 Metropolitans 92 · 7th, 2023Wemby teammate

He became the youngest player ever to start a game for the Wizards.

Youngest WAS starterTwo-way wing

He grew into a starting defender and playmaker, over three assists a game.

12.3 ppg · 3.4 apg2024-25

He won an Olympic silver medal with France in 2024.

🥈 Paris 2024Building block
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
11.7
2025-26
RPG
4.3
per game
APG
2.6
per game
FG%
.425
.319 from three
LIFE

Roots & the rise

A long, athletic French two-way wing — perimeter defense and playmaking for Washington's rebuild.

Bilal Coulibaly was born in Saint-Cloud, France and grew up in the Paris suburbs, rising through French basketball at Metropolitans 92, where he was a teammate of Victor Wembanyama. Indiana drafted him 7th in 2023 and traded his rights to Washington, where he became the youngest player in franchise history to start a game.

A long, athletic two-way wing, he developed into a starting-caliber perimeter defender and secondary playmaker (over three assists a game) and won an Olympic silver medal with France in 2024. He profiles as a foundational two-way building block for Washington's rebuild.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference, ESPN.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

Coulibaly is part of French basketball's golden generation — a Paris-suburb product of Malian descent who rose alongside Wembanyama at Metropolitans 92 before jumping to the NBA at 19. He added an Olympic silver medal with France in 2024, cementing his place in the national-team picture.

His on-court identity is length and two-way versatility — a 6-foot-7 wing with the tools to guard multiple positions and disrupt passing lanes, paired with growing on-ball creation (his assists rose to 3.4 a game). Consistent outside shooting and health are the swing factors, but his defensive floor and playmaking upside make him a genuine building block.

PERSONALITY

The person

A long, athletic two-way wing — perimeter defense, disruption, and growing playmaking.

Two-way wingLong and athletic, with the tools to guard multiple positions.
PlaymakerGrew his creation to over three assists a game.
Young building blockYoungest player ever to start a game for the Wizards.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Two-Way Wing · Defender
Temperament
Connector
Leadership
58/100
Scoring60
Playmaking54
Rebounding44
Perimeter D82
Rim protection23
Spacing57
Athleticism70
Clutch63
a two-way perimeter defender and slasher
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

Length and two-way upside

Coulibaly's value is defensive versatility and length — a 6-foot-7 wing who guards multiple positions, generates steals and blocks, and has grown as a secondary playmaker (3.4 assists a game). On a rebuilding Washington team, that defensive floor plus creation upside makes him a foundational two-way piece to develop around.

Shooting and health to solidify

The swing factors are outside shooting — inconsistent from three — and durability, with several injuries interrupting his early seasons. Locked into a developmental role, his ceiling depends on stabilizing his jumper and staying healthy; if he does, his length, defense, and playmaking give him a genuine two-way starter profile for the Wizards.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-265626.211.74.32.6.425.319

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

2023Drafted 7th overall; rights traded to Washington
2024Olympic silver medal with France
FranchiseYoungest player in Wizards history to start a game

Hardware

🥈
Olympic silver (2024)
7th
Draft pick (2023)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 13, 2026

A long, athletic two-way wing — a foundational building block for Washington's rebuild.

Coulibaly's defensive length and growing playmaking make him a foundational two-way piece for Washington. His floor is disruptive perimeter defense; his upside is on-ball creation. Consistent outside shooting and health are the swing factors toward a two-way starter ceiling.

Perimeter defenseStrong
Length / disruptionStrong
PlaymakingGrowing
Shooting / healthWatch

Contract

Draft
7th, 2023 young
Role
Two-way wing building block
Age
21 rising
Bottom line

A long, athletic two-way wing with a French pedigree and Olympic silver — a foundational building block for Washington, with shooting and health the keys to his ceiling.

FAQ

Quick answers

Who did Bilal Coulibaly play with before the NBA?

He was a teammate of Victor Wembanyama at Metropolitans 92 in France before being drafted 7th overall in 2023.

What is Bilal Coulibaly's biggest strength?

Two-way wing defense — a long, athletic 6-foot-7 forward who guards multiple positions and disrupts passing lanes, with growing playmaking.

Has Bilal Coulibaly played for France?

Yes — he won an Olympic silver medal with the French national team in 2024.