Two injuries and elimination: The heavy toll of EuroBasket for French NBA players

The Washington Wizards preparation for the 2025-2026 season starts with two major absences. Alexandre Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly, the franchise’s two French prospects, will miss the beginning of training camp due to injuries suffered during EuroBasket 2025.

The national team experience came at a high cost for both players. Eliminated in the round of 16 against Georgia, they are now continuing their rehabilitation with their NBA franchise.

Alex Sarr being cautious but expected for season opener

Alex Sarr injured his calf during the tournament. He will therefore be handled with care during training camp. However, he should return to the starting lineup by the first game of the season. The Bordeaux native is expected to start his second NBA campaign on October 22 against the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

During his rookie season, he posted promising statistics: 13.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. His shooting percentages were 39.4% from the field and 30.8% from 3-point range. The second pick of the 2024 Draft will look to build on the progress observed at the end of last season.

The Washington Wizards will be forced to begin the 2025-26 NBA regular season without Bilal Coulibaly 😕

Date of return: https://t.co/thwViQ1h4v pic.twitter.com/BRLbYJFO7b

— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) September 24, 2025

Bilal Coulibaly out for several weeks

The situation looks more complicated for Bilal Coulibaly. Operated on September 12 for a ligament tear in his right thumb, he will miss the entire training camp. According to GM Will Dawkins, his return isn’t expected until the first or second week of competition.

This setback comes at a crucial time for the former Metropolitans player. Entering the penultimate year of his rookie contract, with a Team Option for the final season, he needs to take another step forward. Having increased from 8.4 to 12.3 points per game between his first two seasons, he had confirmed his potential with averages of 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 2024-2025.

The French wing will need to prove his progress to establish himself as an essential piece of the Wizards project. The team continues to struggle on both ends of the court (30th in Defensive Rating and 27th in Offensive Rating). An improvement in his outside shooting, limited to 28.1% from 3-point range last season, would allow him to fully exploit his athletic abilities.