The Washington Wizards find themselves at a crossroads-again. It’s the kind of moment that’s become all too familiar for a franchise trying to rebuild, recalibrate, and re-identify what exactly the future is supposed to look like. With a roster full of young prospects and a few veteran placeholders, the Wizards are working through the tough process of figuring out who’s part of the long-term picture-and who simply isn’t.
Let’s start with the obvious: not every young player pans out. That’s the nature of a rebuild.
You take swings, some connect, and others miss badly. Washington has taken its fair share of swings in recent years, and not all of them have landed.
Cam Whitmore is a name that comes to mind. The Maryland native came to D.C. via a low-risk trade, and while the upside was there on paper, the early returns haven’t been promising.
Still, given the minimal investment, Whitmore’s struggles aren’t exactly setting the franchise back.
But the real dilemma lies with a different young player-one who came with a much higher price tag and expectations to match.
**Bilal Coulibaly was supposed to be a cornerstone. ** Drafted seventh overall in 2023, the French wing was billed as a raw but high-upside prospect-long, athletic, and with the defensive instincts to potentially become a two-way force.
But now, heading into year three, the returns have been underwhelming. He’s averaging 8.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game, but the efficiency has been rough: 35.7% from the field and just 24.4% from deep.
Those are tough numbers to justify for a player getting meaningful minutes, especially on a team trying to develop its young core.
And it’s not just the offense. Injuries have been a recurring issue, keeping Coulibaly from finding any real rhythm or consistency.
For a young player trying to establish himself, availability matters just as much as potential. Right now, he’s not offering enough of either.
The Wizards’ front office likely knows this. They can see the writing on the wall.
But the hesitation to move on from Coulibaly doesn’t just stem from his draft status or the hope he’ll figure it out-it’s rooted in something deeper. Something that still stings.
Deni Avdija.
The former lottery pick’s resurgence with the Portland Trail Blazers has been a tough pill to swallow for the Wizards. In Washington, Avdija showed flashes-solid defense, improved playmaking, and the occasional offensive outburst-but he never quite broke through.
Then he leaves, gets a fresh start, and suddenly he looks like a future star. That kind of post-Wizards breakout is exactly what this front office is afraid of repeating.
So now they’re stuck. Coulibaly hasn’t shown enough to warrant a major role moving forward, but the fear of watching another young talent blossom elsewhere is real. It’s the classic “what if” scenario, and it’s paralyzing.
But here’s the truth: **Coulibaly's time in D.C. has likely run its course. ** Maybe he does figure it out somewhere else.
Maybe he becomes the player the Wizards hoped he’d be. But based on what we’ve seen so far, that development probably won’t happen in Washington.
Sometimes, a change of scenery is what a young player needs. And sometimes, a franchise needs to admit when it’s time to move on.
The Wizards have other young players who could use the reps-guys who might not have Coulibaly’s draft pedigree, but who are showing real flashes and deserve more opportunity. Every minute spent hoping Coulibaly turns the corner is a minute not invested in someone else’s growth.
Rebuilding is messy. It’s full of hard decisions and second-guessing.
But if the Wizards want to move forward, they can’t let past regrets dictate future moves. It’s time to turn the page.