Getty Bilal Coulibaly, NBA draft prospect and teammate of Victor Wembanyama.
NEW YORK — Sureshot No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama is not yet a member of the San Antonio Spurs’ organization but he already is offering his future NBA team scouting advice: Go and get his Boulogne-Levallois teammate Bilal Coulibaly, the fast-rising wing who measured at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan and is now slated as a certain lottery pick in Thursday’s draft.
Said Wembanyama here on Wednesday: “The scouting report on Bilal, let me tell you something—the NBA did not believe his measurements, but he is 6-foot-8, 7-foot-3 wingspan. Often players cheat on the measurements but we don’t do that in France. He looks small next to me but he isn’t actually. Let me tell you, some people were shocked when they came to my team and did the measurements. He can be so valuable to a team, I am sure of it.”
Coulibaly has just one season under his belt for Metropolitan 92’s top level, and he averaged 5.1 points and 3.0 rebounds in 18.1 minutes. He shot 53.2% from the field and 45.2% from the 3-point line, impressive efficiency for an 18-year-old with his measurements.
Victor Wembanyama et Bilal Coulibaly ont fait un arrêt par Rucker Park, le terrain mythique d’Harlem où les plus grands joueurs NBA sont passés avant eux (Kobe, Kyrie, KD…)
Coulibaly & Wembanyama Have Played Together for 5 Years
Coulibaly and Wembanyama have been playing together since they were 13 years old, they said, and Coulibaly was enticed by the prospect of joining up with the top pick in Texas. But then, he was equally enticed by the prospect of finally playing against him.
“I would love to (play with Wembanyama),” Coulibaly said. “We played together a long time. But I would love to play against him, too—it has been a long time since we have played against each other.”
Coulibaly said that the late confirmation of his measurements, plus his relative lack of experience is one reason he has been such a late riser in the draft.
“I think I might be underrated because I played the one year with the pros but yeah, they can see my game,” he said.
His game starts with his potential as a five-position defensive player. His efficiency as a shooter is a bonus, really.
“I trust my defense first,” Coulibaly said. That is what I am going to do, show that I can guard multiple positions and everything, and I can play team defense. That is what I am going to do.”
Spurs Would Have Trade Options
While it is a longshot for the Spurs to land a pick high enough to bring in Coulibaly, it is certainly possible. The Magic, Pacers and Jazz, at Nos. 6, 7 and 9, are open to trades, though they’d prefer to deal later picks (Orlando has No. 11, where Coulibaly could be available, and Utah has No. 16).
San Antonio has, potentially, six first-round picks in the next two drafts, plus extra first-rounders in 2027 and 2028, giving it plenty of capital to pry a pick away from Orlando, Indiana or Utah.
Wembanyama does have a reputation for maturity, and it is unlikely that needs the Spurs to bring in a locker-room presence to support him, but there have been rumors that San Antonio still will attempt to make additions that will smooth Wembanyama’s path. There has been talk of the Spurs absorbing forward Evan Fournier’s contract from the Knicks—Fournier is a teammate on the French national team.
Coulibaly laughed off the notion that Wembanyama needed help to live up to the mountains of hype he is facing coming into the NBA.
“No pressure for him,’ Coulibaly said. “He knows what he is capable of.”