The Chicago Bulls will need to finally choose a direction this offseason.
With the hiring of new executive Bryson Graham, it seems as though that direction will be a patient one, accumulating and developing young talent without rushing the process of a rebuild. It will be a slow, and at times painful, process. But if Graham is able to pull it off successfully, there could soon be some very exciting teams in Chicago.
Obviously, Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis are the centerpieces of the team as it's constructed. Buzelis is here to stay, and the Bulls will eventually need to make a decision on Giddey's future with the organization. Chicago also has a pair of first-round picks, which are currently slated at 9th and 15th overall.
By the time next season begins, there should be a promising young core established on their roster.
But that makes it easy to forget about their rawest (and one of their most promising) young pieces, Noa Essengue. The Bulls spent the 12th overall selection on Essengue in last year's Draft. He missed virtually all of his rookie campaign with a shoulder injury, and he was already a raw prospect coming into the league.
If Chicago wants to commit to the rebuild, therefore, they must give Essengue as much opportunity as possible in 2026-27.
The Bulls need to figure out what they have in Noa Essengue next season
Essengue, despite already having essentially 'redshirted' a season, is still just 19, and it's almost certain that he still possesses many of the same weaknesses and deficits to his game that he came into the NBA with. He lacks the strength to truly impose his will on NBA defenders, and there will be lingering concerns about his shooting until he starts to consistently knock down his looks at this level.
At the same time, as a 6'10", flexible downhill finisher and defender, Essengue certainly has intriguing traits. He also has experience against pro-level competition, having averaged 22.8 minutes per game with Ratiopharm Ulm in 2024-25.
For a team attempting to compete, leaving Essengue in the G-League for his first full season might be the best move. He likely still has a lot of polishing to do to his game before he's ready to take on productive NBA minutes, and it's possible that a season out of the game has set his development back a measure.
Essengue may also need to compete for minutes in his sophomore campaign. He certainly won't start at power forward with Buzelis in the fold. Depending on who the Bulls add in free agency, the roster might quickly become deeper than many people realize.
But Chicago, no matter the cost to winning, must use 2026-27 to get a full evaluation on the young talent they have at their disposal, and that especially includes Essengue. He's likely not the type of prospect that can make or break a rebuild, but there is a far enough gap between his hypothetical floor and ceiling that evaluating him must be one of the Bulls' top priorities next season.
It might be painful at times as he figures things out, but it's among their many first steps in properly conducting this rebuild.
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