Ahead of the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly has undergone surgery on his right thumb.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Coulibaly suffered a torn ligament while playing for France in the 2025 EuroBasket tournament this summer.
As Charania wrote on Friday, Coulibaly is expected to miss the start of the regular season.
"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."
According to The Athletic's Josh Robbins, Coulibaly was plagued by thumb pain throughout the tournament; however, it sounds like the tear occurred during the team's Round of 16 game against Georgia.
Read More:Lakers Linked to 2022 NBA Champ Following Luka Doncic's Long-Term Deal
Across six EuroBasket games this summer, Coulibaly averaged 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. While France wound up finishing first in Group D, Les Bleus were then eliminated by Georgia in the Round of 16.
Last season with the Washington Wizards, Coulibaly averaged career-highs across the board with 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
While Washington wound up finishing the year with the worst record in the Eastern Conference, there has been optimism surrounding the team's young core heading into the 2025-26 season.
Between young standouts like Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, and Cam Whitmore, and the addition of veterans like CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton, the season ahead is poised to be an interesting one in Washington.
As to how long Coulibaly will be sidelined, only time will tell. While some players like Malcolm Brogdon have been able to bounce back in as little as six weeks, other players wind up needing longer to recover.
With the Wizards' season opener against the Bucks just over five weeks away, it will be interesting to see how things play out.
Read More:13-Year NBA Vet Battling Brain Tumor
Related Articles
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.