Bulls regret in drafting Noa Essengue grows as Chicago passed on Nikola Jokic clone

The Chicago Bulls had the chance to draft Yang Hansen with the 12th overall pick in 2025 but selected Noa Essengue in what already looks like the latest massive blunder by Arturas Karnisovas and his front office. Essengue’s biggest moment in Las Vegas was getting dunked on by Johnny Furphy. Hansen was a surprise pick at 16th overall but is living up to his nickname in Vegas. The Chinese Jokic has fans jumping out of their seats and dreaming about his potential.

Hansen is a special passer and playmaker for a big man. He has been dissecting defenses and getting his teammates countless easy buckets. There are questions about his defense, but the 7’1 big man looks special. It is unfair to compare him to Jokic, but Hansen could be a future star and dynamic offensive creator like the three-time MVP.

Essengue has not had the look of a future star. The 18-year-old big man is a project that needs time to develop. The Bulls are searching for their center of the future and passed on a star to get someone they hope to mold into a starter. Essengue is not ready for rotation minutes, which will only grow the regret here.

Bulls regret passing on Yang Hansen in the 2025 NBA Draft

Over his first three games in Las Vegas, Essengue averaged 12.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 24.9 minutes per game. The teenager shot 41.9 percent from the field and committed three turnovers per game as the Bulls were outscored by 33 points in his 74 minutes on the floor. It is difficult to judge anything from summer league, but Furphy dunking on him is likely the thing fans will remember most about the Bulls rookie’s time in Vegas.

Hansen is a special playmaker that has everybody taking. He averaged 10.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.0 blocks in 24.8 minutes per game over his first two contests. It is the type of plays he’s making that has everyone excited.

The Blazers big man already has many questioning if he will replace Donovan Clingan as their long-term starter with Deandre Ayton already in Los Angeles. That is how special the production has been from the relatively unknown prospect.

The Bulls have been trying to trade Nikola Vucevic, but have been unable to find a workable deal. If the 34-year-old gets dealt, Chicago has no answer at the five. Zach Collins is on their roster, but Essengue profiles as more of a four. They had a shot to take Vuc’s replacement but failed with four viable options still on the board.

The Chicago Bulls nightmare continues. Little has gone right in the Arturas Karnisovas era, and this looks like another missed opportunity. The Bulls must rebuild. Matas Buzelis will be a key role player. They hope Essengue can blossom into a starter, but there are no guarantees. Fans would have been excited about Yang Hansen’s incredible playmaking. They desperately needed that hope, but the front office failed to deliver again.