After selecting French forward Noa Essengue in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, the Bulls need some NBA-ready talent if they hope to make a run at the playoffs next year. That means adding a player such as Auburn big Johni Broome.
Essengue is an extremely raw but physically gifted player at nearly 7 feet tall with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and a 9-foot-2 standing reach. His movement skills, however, belie his size. He's a high-level athlete who glides fluidly around the floor with side-to-side agility, making him a switchable and versatile defender. He'll make an intriguing forward pairing with last year's lottery pick, Matas Buzelis.
Grabbing someone as unpolished as Essengue, though, isn't a short-term solution to fix one of the NBA's worst defenses. In what will likely be brief stints on the court for Head Coach Billy Donovan, his natural athletic gifts will shine on that end of the floor, but he's not ready for a crucial role.
If Chicago wants to make a run in a wide-open Eastern Conference, it'll need to grab a player who's ready to contribute immediately; there's one prospect in particular who may still be on the board when the organization picks at No. 45.
Bulls should select Johni Broome in second round of 2025 NBA Draft
Broome was the best player in college basketball last season not named Cooper Flagg. He was the Sporting News National College Player of the Year and finished second to Flagg in a handful of other player of the year awards.
He was the SEC Player of the Year, a consensus First-Team All-American and the best player on an Auburn team that was No. 1 in the country for a large stretch of the season.
Broome fell to the second round of the draft, however, due to his age, lack of elite athleticism, and specific skill set. He may not be for everyone, but what he does well meshes ideally with Chicago's weaknesses.
The 23-year-old averaged 18.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game last season; four of those boards came on the offensive glass. He was a dominant interior player for the Tigers, compensating for his lack of athleticism with a high skill level that included a full arsenal of hooks, pump fakes, pivots and a soft touch near the rim.
Broome averaged 2.1 blocks in 2024-25 and 2.5 for his career. He relies more on timing, instincts and intelligence, but he's big, strong and physical, consistently playing with an elite level of intensity.
After drafting a project like Essengue, the Bulls need someone ready to contribute right away and help fix a wildly poor defense. Broome is ideally suited to do that as a strong, hard-nosed, hard-working shot blocker and rebounder.