The Chicago Bulls have a noticeable void to address at forward with Caleb Wilson expected to miss the next four-to-six weeks due to surgery on his fractured hand. Though no individual is likely to replace Wilson on their own, Noa Essengue should be given the chance to learn through experience.
Essengue may ultimately struggle along the way, but this is a golden opportunity for Chicago to test their 2025 lottery pick in a more expansive role without having to cater it to Wilson's own development.
Essengue is finally cracking the Bulls' rotation on a consistent basis. After appearing in just two games as a rookie in 2025-26, the No. 12 overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft has appeared in nine of Chicago's first 12 outings in 2026-27.
During that time, Essengue has crashed the offensive glass and showcased the ability to score with relatively impressive volume.
Essengue scored just eight points between his first four games in 2026-27, but he's hit a solid groove since then. In the five games preceding the Nov. 13 clash with the Atlanta Hawks, he averaged 8.4 points and 2.2 offensive rebounds in 14.0 minutes per contest. He scored at least eight points in four of those five appearances, tallying six in 14 minutes in the other.
Though that may not be awe-inspiring production on the surface, it's a clear sign of how much more comfortable Essengue is becoming with bigger minutes. Unfortunately, he played just eight minutes against Atlanta.
Bulls must let Noa Essengue play through woes with Caleb Wilson out
Essengue may not be the same type of talent as Wilson, but there may come a day when they consistently play alongside one another. Even if he ultimately acts in relief of the franchise player, however, Chicago would benefit immensely from him carving out a consistent role.
The fact that Essengue averaged 20.0 points per 36 minutes over the five games prior to the Hawks outing should at least convince the Bulls to explore what he can manage with more minutes made available to him.
If Essengue sinks, then so be it. He'll have received an early opportunity to play big minutes at 19 years of age and can go back to the range of the 14.0 per contest he's been averaging if that ultimately proves to be the ideal approach.
Should Essengue step up and proves up to the task of playing more minutes, however, then the Bulls' rotation would take on a new shape with an unexpected player in an immediately prominent role.
It's risky, of course, but Chicago doesn't have much to lose at this point. It's been one of the worst offensive and defensive teams in the NBA up to this stage of the season, and could now be without Wilson until mid or even late December.
Essengue doesn't need to play 30 minutes per game, but he should comfortably reside around 20 and receive every opportunity to play his way into a bigger role.
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