The entire offseason, the Washington Wizards have made it a point of emphasis to alter the roster heading into next season.
General manager Will Dawkins has made multiple moves over the last month that has taken the attention away from the players already on the roster entering the offseason.
Understandably so, the blockbuster move to send Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey to the New Orleans Pelicans for CJ McCollum deserves to be talked about. As does the addition of one of the most talented prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft in Tre Johnson.
Not to mention, the addition of Cam Whitmore for a discounted price could come back to prove the Wizards got the biggest steal of the offseason as a whole.
However, it's worth noting that while the Wizards may be looking for a difference-maker for their rebuild, they may already have an X-Factor on the roster who's development could be overshadowed by what has proven to be a busy offseason for Washington.
Bilal Coulibaly's development is being overlooked
Bilal Coulibaly's sophomore season came to an end early after suffering a season-ending hamstring injury that forced him to miss the end of the regular season.
Prior to that, the French product was in the midst of a career-year as a full-time starter for the Wizards proving to be a menace on the defensive end of the court.
Coulibaly's size and defensive instincts make him a nightmare for opposing offensive players, but that isn't the only reason that he could be a huge X-Factor for the team moving forward.
Although the 6-foot-8 guard's shooting splits don't look the most efficient, he showed plenty of flashes through this past season as both a scorer and willing passer in Brian Keefe's offense.
At only 21, there's so much room for Coulibaly to grow that if he's able to take another leap offensively and improve his efficiency from the floor, the potential for him to become one of the premiere two-way players in the league could be a huge boost to the Wizards rebuild moving forward.
Between Coulibaly's development, Alex Sarr and the 2024 NBA Draft class poised to make a jump in their sophomore season, mixed with the fact that multiple talented rookies are joining an underrated roster, Brian Keefe's squad could be poised for an improved season heading into 2025.
Nonetheless, the moral of the article is that Coulibaly's development heading into year three is being overshadowed by the fireworks of the Wizards offseason.