The Chicago Bulls made French teenager Noa Essengue the No. 12 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft with the understanding that this year would be a developmental one. Unfortunately, they'll have to wait to continue that development after the team announced that Essengue will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season as he's set to undergo left shoulder surgery.
Essengue, the youngest prospect in the 2025 draft class, didn't get a chance to show much at the NBA level through the year's first 20 games. He did flash during his time with the Windy City Bulls in the G League, however, which should give the organization something positive to build off of heading into 2026-27, when Essengue could be called on to fill a role in Billy Donovan's rotation.
Chicago Bulls' Noa Essengue to miss rest of 2025-26 season
The 18-year-old made two appearances for the Bulls. On Nov. 22, he played 3 minutes and 53 seconds in a win over the Washington Wizards and missed his lone 3-point attempt. Two nights later, he played 2:09 against the New Orleans Pelicans and was 0-for-2 from the field but did snag a steal.
Before the season, Donovan made it clear Essengue wasn't prepared to play in the NBA, and his lack of playing time backed that up.
In four G League contests, though, he averaged 23.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals while hitting 1.3 threes per game.
Essengue's tantalizing, drool-worthy physical gifts were the main attraction heading into the draft. He's 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and 9-foot-2 standing reach. He glides around the court with effortless athleticism.
What he could be -- an athletic, half-gumby, half-gazelle tailor-made for the Bulls' relentless pressure and transition scheme -- is why Chicago is so high on him.
He'll surely get some mental reps in from the sideline, but adding strength to an incredibly thin frame was a major point of emphasis for Essengue this season. It's not clear yet how long he'll be out, but a shoulder injury will put a stopper on that.
More than anything, the Bulls needed their latest lottery pick to play games against NBA competition and bulk up. At least for now, Essengue will be doing neither. Hopefully, he can return sooner rather than later -- for his sake and the franchise's.