With the Chicago Bulls using their No. 12 pick to select Noa Essengue, several questions have been raised regarding what this means for Patrick Williams and the direction of the Chicago Bulls frontcourt.
Noa Essengue is one of the rawer prospects in this year’s draft class, but he has been playing professionally overseas since the 2021–22 season, which gives him an advantage over most other players in this draft.
At just 18 years old, he has already shown his abilities as a versatile defender who can switch onto positions 1-to-4 and hedge in pick-and-roll coverage (an area the Bulls have consistently struggled with Nikola Vucevic at center). Offensively, his game will need some work, especially his perimeter shooting, but he has shown flashes of strong efficiency and touch that suggest real long-term potential.
Williams' time in Chicago could soon come to an end
In the days leading up to the draft, rumors have been swirling surrounding the Bulls wanting to move on from Williams. Essengue will not step in as his replacement right away, but their similar skill sets raise some real questions. Both are long, athletic forwards who make their biggest impact on the defensive end, and neither has fully figured it out offensively. If Essengue can develop a more consistent jumper and limit his turnovers, the Bulls may view him as a project and mold him into the player they once hoped Williams would become.
This puts the Bulls in a position to make an important decision. They can either keep Williams and fully commit to a forward group built around defense and versatility, pairing him with Essengue and Matas Buzelis. Or, they could pivot and move on from Williams while he still has some trade value left at 23 years old.
If the front office isn’t confident in his development or long-term fit, Essengue becomes an ideal piece to help with a smooth transition of young forwards with potential. He’s raw, but he brings the upside that the Bulls seem ready to invest in.
Drafting Essengue is a clear sign that the Bulls could finally be leaning into a youth movement built around developing their young, athletic core. At this point, the lone outlier on the roster is the 34-year-old Vucevic. The question now becomes whether the Bulls will use the No. 45 pick to target a true center to aid in replacing him or continue to search for a trade partner for the aging veteran.