Bilal Coulibaly of the wizard undergoes thumb surgery to repair a torn ligament
Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly underwent surgery in New York City on Friday to repair a torn ligament in the right thumb, the team announced on X.
Bilal Coulibaly misses the start of the 2025-26 NBA season
ESPN’s Shams Charania said Curio Bally is expected to miss the start of the 2025-26 regular season. The 21-year-old was injured by the French national team in the FIBA Eurobasket game.
In these six Eurobasket games, Currybali averaged 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds, shooting 41.2%.
The Indiana Pacers selected Curry Bali with the seventh overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and traded him to the Wizards on draft night.
In the 2023-24 season, he averaged 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 63 games (15 games) in 27.2 minutes, while the floor shot 43.5% and Deep shot 34.6% from the field.
Currybali’s average career high number with wizards
Currybaly’s career high was 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 33 minutes per game in 59 games last season in Washington, while shooting 42.1% from the field.
The 6-foot-8 defender suffered a hamstring injury in early March and did not play for the rest of the season. His rookie sport was also shortened when he suffered a late-season wrist fracture in March 2024.
Since Washington doesn’t have Curry Balli starting the upcoming season now, the Wizards may depend on a pair of veterans in his absence: CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton.
McCollum was acquired this summer, a deal that sent Jordan Poole to the Pelicans, while Washington added Middleton to last season’s trade deadline in Kyle Kuzma trade.
Washington re-signs Anthony Gill, abandoning Richaun Holmes
Last month, Washington also re-signed the experienced Anthony Gill after abandoning veteran big man Richaun Holmes in July. Holmes’ contract with the Wizards includes a second season, but his 2025-26 salary is barely guaranteed.
Hoopshype reported last month that Holmes agreed to a two-year contract with Panathinaikos, which would make him one of the highest-paid players in Europe. The former second-rounder played 31 games with Washington in 2024-25.
In other news, forward guard Malcolm Brogdon signed a one-year contract with the New York Knicks on Friday. The former sixth man will enter the tenth season of 2025-26.
Washington scored the game with a 18-64 (.220) season, while the Wizard died in the Eastern Conference. They have been unable to make the playoffs every year since 2021.
