The Washington Wizards had four players compete this summer across FIBA’s two international tournaments. Two players, Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly, competed for France’s stacked roster. Tristan Vukcevic played for Serbia alongside the best center in the NBA, Nikola Jokic. And Kyshawn George played on this side of the Atlantic, competing for Canada. Let’s take a look at how each player played while representing their countries at the highest level.
Washington’s International Round-Up: Wizards FIBA Recap
It’s awesome to see four young Wizards compete in international play. However, while some maximized their opportunity, others shriveled under the bright lights.
Alex Sarr
Sarr made his men’s national team debut after balling out in the Summer League. While it was cut short after a calf injury, Sarr played well. Across his two games, Sarr averaged 9.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, half an assist, and a block. Sarr was third on the team in efficiency per game, with 13.5.
While the injury damaged an overall great summer, Sarr should be happy with his first NBA offseason. He is poised for a large role for the Wizards, and it should come as no surprise. Although it was a relatively small sample size, Sarr no doubt earned another opportunity with France’s national team in the near future.
Bilal Coulibaly
While both Sarr and Coulibaly started strong, Coulibaly faded towards the end of France’s run in EuroBasket. In his first two contests, Coulibaly scored over 10 points, shooting a combined 10/19 across the games against Belgium and Slovenia. However, the next four games were a completely different story.
Not only did he shoot 4/12 across three of the four contests, but Coulibaly also failed to score in France’s final game against Georgia. He went 0/3 from the field, with three rebounds as his only stats of significance—unless you count his four fouls. Overall, he averaged 6.3 points on 41.2% shooting from the field, with 4.3 rebounds and half an assist. On defense, he averaged half a steal and 0.7 blocks.
This is going to be a make-or-break season for Coulibaly, and he knows it. If he can put together a solid season, he should be able to secure a long-term future in D.C. However, if the opposite occurs, he could find himself in a new city by the trade deadline. It’s a pressure-packed season for him, and consistent performances are the top priority.
Tristan Vukcevic
It wasn’t well known that Vukcevic was competing in EuroBasket. With the hype around Sarr, Coulibaly, and George, he was overlooked; however, he had some solid outings. In Serbia’s warm-up game against Cyprus, Vukcevic grabbed MVP with 24 points and seven rebounds.
Across Serbia’s five games in EuroBasket, Vukcevic got to play in four. He averaged 6.3 points, 1.3 assists, and 4.5 rebounds. The shooting was a surreal issue, with splits of 40% from the field and a horrid 14.3% from three. Vukcevic will need to step up in a big way this season, as Sarr is the only true center on the roster. He should get solid opportunities when he eventually gets called up to the Wizards roster this season.
Kyshawn George
Also making a debut, this was George’s first FIBA action in a Canadian uniform. Not only was he the best player of the four, but he also made sure to showcase his growth from last season. George was arguably the best player in the AmeriCup this year and led Canada all the way to the bronze medal game.
Over the course of the tournament, George averaged 13.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists on 51.9% shooting from the field and a spectacular 46.2% from three. With the combination of that and Canada’s finish, George earned a spot on the FIBA AmeriCup All-Star Five team.
George showcased his ability to grow, as his all-around type of play jumped to a whole different level during the tournament. Heading into the 2025-26 season, George should see an expanded role alongside Sarr and Bub Carrington, who also made headlines recently.
The Last Word
Playing on the international stage is one of the highest honors in all of sports. Regardless of how they played, it’s a great opportunity for fans to see how their favorite players grew over the offseason. Washington no doubt used this as a chance to see who’s been applying the offseason outside of an empty gym. Hopefully, come next season, these guys continue the solid play.
© Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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