The Bulls have used the 12th overall pick in this year’s draft to select Noa Essengue, the first prospect who has been playing overseas to come off the board.
Essengue, a 6’10” forward from France, signed with Ratiopharm Ulm in July 2023. He spent most of his first season with Ulm’s developmental team, but played a key role for the German club this past season, averaging 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 23.7 minutes per game across 18 EuroCup appearances.
Essengue, who is the second-youngest player in the 2025 draft, was actually still playing for Ratiopharm Ulm as recently as Saturday, but left Germany to travel stateside for this week’s draft with Ulm holding a 2-1 lead over Bayern Munich in the best-of-five Basketball Bundesliga championship.
Because Essengue didn’t play college basketball in the United States, most American fans may not be familiar with his game. He’s mobile for his size and can guard a variety of players, but he still needs to develop his outside shot.
He’ll be a welcome addition for a Bulls team that’s loaded with guards, but low on players with size. He’ll likely need time to develop into an effective NBA player, and he may not be asked to contribute a lot right away. Chicago has other options to upgrade at power forward, especially if a rumored deal to acquire Jonathan Kuminga goes through.
Essengue reportedly had a “secret” private workout with Toronto after arriving from Germany, and there was speculation he could be taken as high as No. 9. Brooklyn and Phoenix also expressed interest, according to Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN.
Welcome to the Bare Minimum franchise.
LOVE this kid’s game. Scottie Pippen but in French. More importantly this leaves Derik Queen available for my Hawks to pounce on.
UGGGGGHHHHH looks like we’re trading Queen smh
Basically a less athletic version of the same guy they drafted last year in Matas Buzelis.
Should’ve taken Queen or Sorber
Bulls just love to take wings/forwards that can’t shoot
This dude is better than Matas.
Yeah I’m sure you can make it work but it won’t be pretty. Both guys are 6’10 and thin.
Matas actually shot well as a rookie but Noa will be lucky to shot 30%.
He’ll be much closer to 50%.
Sorry,but matas can shoot.36% as a rookie isnt bad. Noa not a same guy.noa could play as pf,matas as sf.
He’s only 18 so he still might grow even. Either way he should bulk up at least.
Unclemike : 2nd youngest playera in this draft pick. Him and matas should bulk up. Im not disappointed with this pick,at least not a guard. Now i hope the bulls fire billy donovan. I know its a wild hope,but who knows?
The guy who should be fired is the guy who turned down 2 players and 2 first round picks for Coby White.
Unclemike : 2 players and 2 1sts for coby is a steal. If its me, i would accept it asap.
He’s not growing, c’mon. Maybe one out of a couple hundred men grow a tad after 18, but mostly we don’t. Especially guys of African origin who mature quicker.
My mom worked as a nurse at a military academy in Eastern Europe. The year my brother went there he was the smallest boy in his year because we are very late bloomers. Out of 450 guys in his year, only 2 had non-marginal growth (over 2cm – 1 inch) after age 18 – my brother and one other kid who came from a poor background and was malnourished and delayed in development.
Those stories about guys growing after joining the NBA are mostly nonsense – they didn’t get measured properly before or smth like that.
If you look at NBA players’ kids, who are in the spotlight and whose height is a point if interest, you see that they are not growing late and are all done growing before turning 17, often even earlier.
Not talking about him growing basically, Just filling out. I don’t think you want a guy with his play making skills to weigh 260 lbs. I was worried that the Bulls were going to bulk up Matas to make him play PF and that would have robbed him of what made him special was his ability to move and disrupt. But you need an NBA body to take the punishment. Essengue and Buzelis at the 2 and 3? I gotta see that.
I have a feeling Chicago didn’t plan to draft Essengue as it was believed he’d go lower, and then in the last few weeks after his success in Germany he really rose and was even projected to go higher. But here they are. I’m not sure that’s a good thing, they did well with Matas who they clearly had all the info on, all the scouting. I’m not sure they have scouted Essengue that well.
I watched him play a bit for his team Ulm, but will withhold judgement. He does have ability to find pockets of space even on small European courts. That’s a valuable skill, and he will need it.
I’m not disappointed. If the Bulls are truly playing run and gun this is the guy you want. I was actually kind of thinking Malauch might fall there as I never thought Phoenix would take him and then they traded for Mark Williams so WTF? Any way this should definitely be the end of Coby White in Chicago because he really isn’t necessary any more. At least I don’t have to buy a new TV yet.
Let bulls play coby as 1st option, get 25ppg,then trade him for some 1sts
With this pic, I have to remember who owns that team. Looks like another loser.Reinsdork!
Why oh why would you pass on Queen …..
Because nobody expected Essengue to be there. This could be another Buzelis falling into their lap.
Bulls already confirm at trial with queen that they wont pick queen so Im not surprised
A line up with Giddey, Buzelis and Essengue could be awesome. Get the right C who can move and that’s a big fast line up that can defend and score. Of course you still have a bad coach but…… Hey take the good with the bad. Maybe the Knicks still want Donovan.
I didn’t think this kid would be there at 12…apparently neither did the Bulls…
Great job drafting best player available…
Would’ve loved Sorber if Noa wasn’t there…
Gonna be fun watching these high flying Bulls running up and down the floor this year…
My God is it possible these idiots aren’t going to trade anybody and run out the same people as last year? I would have thought there would be at least somebody dealt tonight. Are they crazy?
This young fella is oozing with potential!