How Does Drafting Noa Essengue Affect the Chicago Bulls?

At the 2024 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls gambled on lengthy forward Matas Buzelis, who was previously thought of to be one of the best talents in the class.

Despite an up-and-down season with the Ignite in the G League, Buzelis still offered versatility and upside, two things the organization desperately needed. As an NBA frosh, Buzelis saw fairly rapid improvement, eventually showing flashes of potential stardom, or at the very least, rotational impact.

Interestingly, the Bulls made a similar move at the 2025 NBA Draft, drafting a spindly but versatile forward in Noa Essengue out of Ratiopharm Ulm. The selection signaled a few things for the Chicago Bulls, mostly that they’re far away from competing. And one can look to Buzelis’ rookie season for a roadmap on Essengue.

Essengue was likely the toolsiest prospect in the class, offering a 6-foot-10 frame with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, with wing-like fluidity and movement. Still, he’s certainly a project, without a clear pathway to production early in his NBA career, much like Buzelis was.

Buzelis played just under 19 minutes per game as a rookie, adding 8.6 points on 45% shooting, with 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. He saw seldom legitimate time early, but found his footing and was able to play often down the stretch. Essengue will likely be similar, playing little out the gate before finding his niche in small minutes, and graduating to more. 

The Frenchman added a scoring and rebounding punch for Ulm last season, scoring 12.4 points and adding 5.3 rebounds per game, doing so largely in transition. He’s certain to offer Chicago those things in moderation, but much like Buzelis, he'll need to get his NBA sea legs. Essengue's short Summer League stint was somewhat inspiring, with him carrying over his professional production in EuroCup to 12.7 points per game.

If Essengue follows the same path, Chicago is certain to be a worse product than last season. The insertion of minutes for Buzelis wasn’t earth-shattering, but doing so for multiple growing NBA prospects is sure to have some record ramifications. After years of standing in the league's middle ground, it seems Chicago could finally pivot to a full blown rebuild with its two new forwards as developmental centerpieces.

That could fit into the team's plans. The 2026 NBA Draft is said to hold as many as three No. 1-level prospects, and maximizing their chances at landing one could be the best path forward.