The Chicago Bulls have selected Noa Essengue with the 12th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The 6'9" forward from France is the second-youngest player in the draft, and most recently played on Ratiopharm Ulm in the German Bundesliga.
Essengue is known as an athletic and versatile wing with a ton of defensive potential. He averaged 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.4 steals on 56% shooting during the EuroCup this past season.
Welcome to Chicago, @NoaEssengue! 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/y7Zcda0F7N
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) June 26, 2025
Essengue's Draft Profile
Essengue has the height of a forward but the wingspan of a center. He has a 9" standing reach, and compared his game and play style to that of Kevin Durant and Brandon Ingram. He has also drawn comparisons to players like Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam for his high-level defense.
With his athleticism and massive frame, Essengue has the skills to be impactful on both sides of the court. He can draw fouls in the paint, play on the fastbreak, and guard positions 2-4 on defense.
He's shown glimpses of becoming a strong playmaker, and though his outside shot has room to improve, Essengue thrives in transition and finishing at the rim. He isn't a top-tier shot creator, but rather works better moving without the ball and finding good looks in space.
Essengue is relatively unproven, but his one season in Germany showed that he can compete at the professional level. He did have 20 points and eight rebounds in a 2024 preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers last year.
What also comes as a surprise is that Essengue left his current team in Germany to attend the draft. His team is still playing in their season, as they have a 2-1 lead in the championship series of the Bundesliga. It could be debated on if the choice to attend the draft over the title series raises some red flags.
Most recently, Essengue was selected to join the French national team for their game against Cyprus.
A Pick to Fix Chicago's Problems
Essengue comes to the Bulls as a very similar prospect to Matas Buzelis, whom they selected 11th overall in last year's draft. Though without a proven scoring ability, the forward has shown to be a top-tier defender who is versatile on both sides of the court.
He will fix one of their major defensive holes on the perimeter, as Chicago gave up the third-most points in the NBA last season. While he isn't known as a shot-blocker, Essengue comes in with a large frame and the ability to guard multiple positions on the court, getting in passing lanes and creating opportunities off turnovers.
With his lateral quickness and size, Essengue will be a major factor on the defensive end for the Bulls next season. He also fits well within their timeline, as at just 18 years old, he will have a lot of time to develop alongside players like Coby White, Josh Giddey, and Buzelis.
Essengue only shot 24.9% from three this year, but the shot will likely improve with Chicago as one of the NBA's most prolific three-point shooting teams. He isn't a traditional forward who likes to back defenders down in the paint and slow down the game, but rather, his versatility and speed will be great for the Bulls as one of the fastest-paced teams in the league.
Chicago took a swing at the second-youngest player in the draft, and on first glance, he looks to be a solution to a lot of their problems. Essengue is still a raw talent with a lot of room to grow, but he looks to be a solid addition to this Bulls roster.