Bulls confirm news on first-round pick Noa Essengue

The Bulls have officially signed their first-round pick, announcing that forward Noa Essengue has finalized his rookie scale contract.

The No. 12 overall pick is expected to receive a four-year, $25.33M deal that is fully guaranteed for the first two seasons, with team options on the third and fourth years. He’ll make $5.43MM as a rookie in 2025/26.

A 6-foot-10 forward from France, Essengue signed with Ratiopharm Ulm in July 2023. He spent most of his first season with Ulm’s developmental team, but played a key role for the German club this past season, averaging 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 23.7 minutes per game across 18 EuroCup appearances.

As the second-youngest player in the 2025 draft class, Essengue may not play a significant role for the Bulls right away, but the team was pleased to land him at No. 12. General manager Marc Eversley said after the draft that the Frenchman was the best player available at that spot and “fits the style of play that we want to play.”