The Chicago Bulls had the No. 12 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. With it, they selected Frenchman Noa Essengue – a selection that hasn’t really panned out for them just yet. Meanwhile, just two picks earlier, the Phoenix Suns were able to nab Khaman Maluach, who just spent all of Summer League making the Bulls wish they could have picked two spots earlier.
Maluach was an absolute monster in Las Vegas. Though he wasn’t particularly impressive during his rookie season in Phoenix, he spent all of Summer League absolutely dominating. By the end of the two-week stint, people were thinking about whether or not he could take over the starting center job in Phoenix at some point soon.
He would have been an absolutely perfect selection for the Bulls, but they just missed him in the draft.
Bulls left wishing they could have drafted Khaman Maluach
Maluach is a freak. He’s a giant body who can space the floor a little bit and block shots at a high level. Considering the Bulls’ need for a long-term center, he would have been a perfect fit.
He appeared in four Summer League games for the Suns, and not only was he the best player on Phoenix’s roster, but he was one of the best players across the entire NBA.
In his four games, Maluach played 27.4 minutes per contest. He averaged 19.5 points, 12.8 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.2 steals, and 2.0 blocks while shooting 53.2% from the floor and 40.0% from deep range on 5.0 three-point attempts per contest.
Those are the types of stats you want to see from a guy who is supposed to be your center of the future. That’s the type of production the Bulls would have loved to see from their soon-to-be second-year player.
Unfortunately, as mentioned, Essengue hasn’t really panned out quite as well. In fact, Essengue played worse in this year’s Summer League than he did in his Vegas stint right after he was drafted.
Essengue appeared in four games for the Bulls this year, playing 18.6 minutes per contest. He averaged 6.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.8 blocks while shooting 43.8% from the field and 16.7% from deep on 1.5 three-point attempts per game.
The Bulls signed Nicolas Claxton this summer. But they still don’t have a long-term answer at the center position. Maluach could have been that, but the Bulls picked just a tad too late.
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