The Chicago Bulls' offseason has already held a number of promising developments.
With their additions of Nic Claxton and Norm Powell, the roster suddenly looks a lot more stable than it did at the start of the offseason. Combine those pieces with the developing chemistry between Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey, and you have a recipe for, at least, moderate success.
But the fact of the matter is that this team is nowhere near ready to compete for a playoff spot, and that's alright. The goal for Chicago should be to continue to develop their young core while taking advantage of the NBA's new '3-2-1' Draft Lottery system.
Accordingly, what Caleb Wilson has shown in Summer League so far has easily been the most exciting storyline of Chicago's offseason. Wilson followed up a monstrous, 35-point showing in his summer league debut with a strong outing against the Utah Jazz on Monday night. Although it's not wise to overreact to summer league performances, Wilson genuinely looks like the Bulls' two-way star of the future.
That eases much of the pressure on the rest of the Bulls' young players— but none more than Noa Essengue, who clearly still needs space and time to develop into an NBA-caliber forward.
Noa Essengue needs the space to develop his game— and Caleb Wilson is providing that as we speak
As impressive as Wilson has been in his two Summer League appearances, the rest of the Bulls' young core hasn't matched those expectations. Dailyn Swain posted just four points and went 0-for-9 from the floor in the matchup with the Jazz. Jaylin Sellers has shown some impressive offensive flashes, but he's been inefficient and unnecessarily ball-dominant when he's been on the court. Tobe Awaka also hasn't shown much offensively.
But given the expectations that have been placed upon him, no player has been more disappointing than Essengue. Essengue, who came into the 2025 NBA Draft as a highly-coveted, athletic, and archetypal forward, missed virtually the entirety of his rookie season with a shoulder injury.
Through two summer league appearances, Essengue has amassed just 16 points on 3-of-9 shooting from the floor.
He's looked outmatched athletically and physically against any of his opponents with real NBA experience, and he still largely seems uncomfortable and awkward with the ball in his hands. Essengue's development was always going to be a slow burn given the size and strength he needs to add to be a viable rotation player, but his summer league appearances have revealed just how much work there's left to be done.
If the Bulls hadn't jumped up in the Draft Lottery and nabbed Wilson at fourth overall, Essengue would be heading into the new season with a real shot at a major role. In one sense, throwing Essengue into the fire might have helped bring some more aggression and physicality out of him.
But with Wilson in the fold, Essengue will be able to take things slow— easing the pressure on him not only now, in Summer League, but over the entire course of his sophomore campaign. While Essengue still projects to be a major part of Chicago's rebuild, their addition of Wilson takes a large burden off of Essengue's shoulders, at least in the short-term.
Essengue needs time and space, and Wilson's arrival is already granting it to him.
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