The Chicago Bulls front office very rarely gets the benefit of the doubt, and those second (and third and fourth) guesses are not unwarranted. Still, a few moves this offseason have been wise and frugal -- a pair of adjectives that can describe the selection of Noa Essengue in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The recent signing of Josh Giddey to a four-year, $100 million contract should top the list of the organization's smart summer decisions. It locks up the 22-year-old point guard coming off his best season as a pro at a team-friendly number that should age like fine wine. But given the franchise's direction and roster-building strategy, grabbing a prospect like Essengue shouldn't be overlooked.
Noa Essengue is the perfect fit for this Chicago Bulls team
The trait-loaded Frenchman was one of the rawest prospects in his draft class, but he was also its youngest. In 18 EuroCap games with Ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga last season, he averaged 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals. Not eye-popping numbers in a lower-tier European league, but his physical attributes are undeniable.
Essengue isn't as explosive as Matas Buzelis, but his graceful agility belies someone who stands 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and a near 9-foot-2 standing reach.
The scouting report on Essengue centers mostly around his defensive potential, which makes sense given his outstanding measurements and movement skills. His offensive game needs work -- he shot 29.4 percent from three last season in Germany -- but those features give the Bulls exactly what they desire in a player.
Executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas isn't hiding his dream of building a roster filled with high-upside, physically gifted wing/forward hybrids. A glance at the last few offseasons' worth of moves provides all the evidence: A swap of Lonzo Ball for Isaac Okoro. The selection of Buzelis in the 2024 draft. Even the Patrick Williams Mistake. And there may not be a more apt description of Essengue than "high-upside, physically gifted wing/forward hybrid."
Head coach Billy Donovan wants to win games by out-running teams in transition, and collecting players who can move and cover up weak spots on defense will certainly make that goal easier to accomplish. That's exactly what Essengue can do and precisely why the Bulls picked him at No. 12 overall.
The clearer Karnisovas' vision becomes, the easier it is to see how Essengue will perfectly complement Chicago's reconstruction.