The Washington Wizards are in an odd spot of their rebuild as the team continues to navigate which players on the roster can be apart of their long-term goals and which prospects simply may be on the way out sooner rather than later.
Washington has several young prospects on the roster, who's production has failed to reach the potential the Wizards opted to take a swing on when they brought them to the DMV.
Names like Cam Whitmore come to mind when talking about failed experiments in D.C., but considering the fact Washington took a swing on the Maryland native at a discounted price on the trade market, the forward's underwhelming start to the season hasn't impacted the Wizards as much as other failed experiments have.
Obviously, veterans like CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton don't have a long-term fit on the Wizards which is exactly why both playmakers will likely be on their way out sooner rather than later.
However, there's one young player whose time in Washington has simply run its course and despite the Wizards understanding that, the front office is scared to face that brutal truth simply because of the regretful decision that continues to haunt the organization.
Deni Avdija’s exit still shapes Washington’s thinking
Bilal Coulibaly was drafted with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft as a raw prospect with immense upside.
Despite his potential, the French product has underwhelmed throughout the star of his career in terms of not only production, but failure to avoid the injury report and prove to be a reliable presence for the Wizards.
Averaging 8.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists, while shooting an abysmal 35.7% from field goal range 24.4% from beyond the arc, Coulibaly's offensive struggles persisting in year three far outweigh his potential as a defender at this point.
The Wizards' front office in all reality probably understands that the former top 10 pick's time in Washington is nearing an end, but instead of pulling the plug on a failed experiment, the team's timidness roots from the Deni Avdija mistake that continues to haunt them.
Avdija's emergence with the Portland Trail Blazers has added plenty of frustrations to not only the fanbase, but the front office who elected to move on from the former lottery pick.
While Avdija's time in Washington was simply a bit different considering he showed flashes of his impact on a consistent basis, the lone fact that the former Wizard broke out into a future star after departing from the DMV has left the Wizards scared to make the move on from Coulibaly fearing a similar instance may happen.
Nonetheless, the fact of the matter is Coulibaly's time in D.C. has run its course and even if he does emerge elsewhere, the brutal reality is he'll likely never reach his potential in Washington.
That said, the Wizards need to move on from the oversized guard and offer his minutes to prospects who could benefit from an increased workload.