Bilal Coulibaly
Coulibaly is a defense-first wing who opened the season in the starting five, but his hold on that job depends on when rookie AJ Dybantsa returns from an ankle injury.
Role
He started the Oct. 21 opener against Milwaukee and played 29 minutes with 11 points (StatMuse game log and CBS Sports, checked Oct. 26). RotoWire says Dybantsa (ankle) missed that opener and that Coulibaly got the start without him. RotoWire's summer note said Coulibaly would likely come off the bench once Dybantsa arrived, and he did come off the bench in the Oct. 12 preseason game against the Nets (24 minutes). I found no report of a Dybantsa debut date, a settled starting five, a usage rate or a back-to-back rest plan. Fox Sports names Will Riley and Justin Champagnie as rotation wings from the end of last season. I did not find who competes with him for minutes this season.
His defensive activity produces steals and blocks. RotoWire's analysis of the opener credits him with four steals and two blocks in 29 minutes, and it says his defense could keep him in the rotation. RotoWire also called Washington a team with plenty of developmental minutes available. In his last eight appearances of 2025-26 he averaged 14.1 points, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks in 24.1 minutes (CBS Sports player page).
The summer reporting said the Dybantsa pick would shrink his role, with RotoWire expecting him to come off the bench. His offense has been inconsistent: 2 points on 1-for-7 shooting in a preseason game, and 7.6 points per game on 35.2 percent shooting over a stretch last season (RotoWire via CBS). CBS also noted that Washington cut his minutes to 21 in a game last season when the starters sat late. He also missed the end of last season with a heel injury, and I found no update on it this season.
Where analysts split
The open question is whether Coulibaly keeps a starting job and 29-plus minutes once Dybantsa is healthy. RotoWire's summer view was a bench role with significant minutes. His opener start came only because Dybantsa was out. I found no beat-writer or tracker piece that settles it.
Research confidence: thin. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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