Wizards, Coulibaly don’t reach rookie-scale extension

The deadline has passed for the Washington Wizards and Bilal Coulibaly to reach a rookie-scale contract extension, which means the 22-year-old wing will enter restricted free agency this summer.

Washington selected Coulibaly with the No. 7 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He was the first selection made by Will Dawkins, who traded up one slot to secure the high-upside wing.

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Dawkins had previously extended Deni Avdija in October 2023 and Corey Kispert in 2024. It appears he won’t do the same for Coulibaly.

Coulibaly averaged 11.7 points and 4.3 rebounds last season. His 86.5-inch wingspan, which ranks in the 99th percentile among NBA guards, allows him to disrupt passing lanes and deny shots. His 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks and 3.1 deflections per game all ranked in the 90th percentile or better at his position last season.

Coulibaly’s ability to defend the opponent’s top offensive threat propelled him to a starting role during his second and third NBA seasons.

In two games against the Milwaukee Bucks last season, Coulibaly held Giannis Antetokounmpo to just 13 points on 5-13 FG. Antetokounmpo scored 46 points on 17-25 FG against all other Wizards defenders.

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“[Bilal] is super valuable to our team. Starting with the defensive presence that he brings to our team, that’s a really unique skill,” Keefe said. “He has been a game changer for us. He embraces that role, and then he has the ability to put pressure on the rim in a lot of different ways: cutting, offensive rebounding, attacking the basket. He brings something that we need on our roster, and that’s someone we can play on the other team’s best players. And that is a super valuable guy to have. We’re thrilled that he’s here.”

The Wizards open the 2026-27 season at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Capital One Arena against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/wizards-coulibaly-don-t-reach-220917904.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-19 22:09:00

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