We’ve all heard the Spurs are planning to draft generational NBA prospect Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
But what you may not know is that Wembanyama is potentially not the only player from France’s Metropolitans 92 who may suit up for San Antonio next season.
Another name to watch is the 18-year-old Bilal Coulibaly, who recently measured 6-foot-8 in shoes with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and an 8-foot-11 standing reach.
Coulibaly has averaged 0.89 points per offensive chance for the Metropolitans, via Stats Perform, which ranks as the best among our projected first-rounders.
Kevin O’Connor speculated that San Antonio is looking to trade up to add another lottery pick and mentioned Coulibaly as a potential target (via The Ringer):
“There are rumblings that the Spurs are exploring trades for a second lottery pick. I’m not sure how high they are trying to get, but rival executives speculate that they’re targeting one of the Thompson twins or Wembanyama’s own teammate, Bilal Coulibaly.”
Sam Vecenie, meanwhile, specifically mentioned Coulibaly as an option for the Spurs (via The Athletic):
“The San Antonio Spurs are thought to have real interest in Coulibaly, as Wembanyama and Coulibaly are close friends having played together this past season with Metropolitans 92. If there is a surprise team that tries to spike up the board into the top 10 that no one sees coming, the Spurs are a candidate.”
According to ESPN, due to travel constraints, Coulibaly did not conduct any team workouts during the pre-draft process. But there are several teams also likely interested in his services.
Jazz CEO Danny Ainge traveled to France to watch Coulibaly in late April, per Bleacher Report lead scout Jonathan Wasserman.
Meanwhile, per ESPN, the Jazz reportedly “sent decision-makers” to scout Coulibaly in Monaco during the Pro A finals earlier this month. According to the report, Oklahoma City also had representatives there.
As such, the price for the additional pick, won’t be cheap for San Antonio. According to NBA Big Board scouting director Raphael Barlowe, Coulibaly is “now believed to have a draft range” that begins at No. 6 overall.
If you ask Wembanyama, though, that price isn’t too steep for someone as talented as Coulibaly. Here is the English translation of what Wembanyama recently said about his teammate (via L’Equipe):
“When I see the top 10 prospects announced in the draft, and for example the twins Amen and Ausar Thompson, whose profile is similar to that of Bilal … I tell myself, very factually, that if these players are announced in the top five picks while playing in a league, Overtime Elite, whose level is light years away from what we live here, so Bilal must be at least a top 5. He is taller, at least as athletic, he has a bigger wingspan, shoots better.”
While he played well as teammates with Wembanyana in France’s top-tier division as they continued their run late in the postseason, he was especially productive in the LNB Espoirs for the under-21 age group.
Coulibaly averaged 21.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game across 16 appearances in the LNB Espoirs. He led all players in pure scoring prowess (PSP) and defensive statistical impact (DSI) as well, per Cerebro.
If it would help Wembanyama to have his French teammate join him in the United States, we should expect San Antonio to seriously consider making the move.
Should this happen, though, does this team continue to add more French connections over the next several years during the Wembanyma era?
Gregg Popovich is not going to coach the team forever. Does it make sense for Vincent Collet, who coached Wembanyama and Coulibaly on Mets 92 and coaches the French national team, to receive consideration as a potential replacement?
We will have a much clearer idea of what will happen once the 2023 NBA Draft concludes on Thursday night in Brooklyn at Barclays Center.
