NBA Draft rumors: Bilal Coulibaly could have promise in the lottery
Victor Wembanyama isn’t the only player from French team Metropolitans 92 expected to go off the board early on draft night. His teammate, 18-year-old wing Bilal Coulibaly, may also have a lottery promise according to Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman.
Coulibaly has been trending upward all season, and recent flashes of self-creation have only increased the buzz around his name. A tremendous athlete with advanced defensive instincts for his age, Coulibaly is the No. 14 prospect on the FanSided board. He would fit the bill for several teams picking late in the lottery.
Wasserman did not have a specific team nailed down, but he mocked Coulibaly to the Raptors at No. 13. When one considers Toronto’s long history of drafting rangy, athletic wings like OG Anunoby or even Bruno Caboclo, who some say is still two years away from being two years away, it becomes quite easy to project Coulibaly as next in line for Masai Ujiri’s ongoing wing project.
Another team gaining steam in the Coulibaly rumor mill is OKC at No. 12. While the Thunder have also been floated as a team that could look to trade up, OKC has a wide array of creative playmakers who could accentuate Coulibaly’s offensive strengths as a finisher, straight-line driver, and spot-up shooter. Plus, he’d add to an already impressive defensive core of Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
For more information on this year’s NBA Draft class, check out our latest Mock Draft and Big Board.