The Chicago Bulls emerged from the 2025 draft with French-born Noa Essengue. He is ready to ingrain himself with the fanbase. Essengue, who is from Orleans, France, did not attend the draft in person.
Instead, he sent a message to the faithful via the team. Essengue also sent a direct message on social media the morning after.
“Chi-town what’s up!!!” Essengue posted on X on June 26.
When your dreams become reality 🙏
@NoaEssengue‘s first moments as a Chicago Bull:
“Hi, Bulls fans, it’s Noa Essengue from Paris, France,” Essengue opened a video from his camp’s draft headquarters after the pick was made and posted to the team’s X handle. “I’m just excited to be with you, and I’ll see you soon.”
Noa Essengue Joins Telling List
GettyNoa Essengue (R) shakes hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected by the Chicago Bulls during the 2025 NBA Draft.
Essengue is the second straight lottery pick the Bulls have drafted. He is also the third one that the Bulls’ executive vice president of basketball operations, Arturas Karnisovas, has drafted.
The Bulls traded two other eventual lottery picks (in 2021 and 2023) in 2020 for Nikola Vucevic.
Bulls general manager Marc Eversley spoke after the draft, and his comments revealed the direction of a team that is feeling the effects of not only surrendering two lottery picks – one of which fell in the top 10 – but also of missing on some of their other selections.
The Bulls traded 2018 No. 7 pick Wendell Carter Jr. to the Orlando Magic in that Vucevic deal. They also selected Patrick Williams No. 4 overall in 2020.
Williams is now on the trade block after inking a five-year, $90 million contract.
Thank you @WGNNews for putting me on live TV to talk about Bulls pick Noa Essengue and slander Patrick Williams
Bulls 2022 first-rounder Dalen Terry (No. 18 overall) has also developed slowly.
“We’re a team in transition. And we’re all about bringing in young, dynamic, athletic players who can play the style of play that we want to play. And I think at the end of the day, if we continue to do that, we’re going to build a team that’s going to compete on a nightly and yearly basis,” Eversley told Bulls beat reporters on June 25 before addressing the Essengue pick.
“[Essengue]’s going to have a off-court development plan and an on-court development plan. “Being only 18 years old, growing up in France, there’s going to be a period where he’s going to need to assimilate to not only how we do things here in Chicago, but really how we do things here in America. We’re going to put together an off-court plan that helps him adapt to his new environment both on the court and off the court, and that’s going to start as early as this weekend.”
Bulls Getting ‘Toolsy’ Prospect in Noa Essengue
GettyNoa Essengue steps on stage after being selected by the Chicago Bulls during the 2025 NBA Draft.
Essengue’s raw potential was a selling point before he landed with the Bulls in the draft. Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor compared the 6-foot-9 rookie to former Bull Al-Farouq Aminu and fellow Frenchman Nicolas Batum.
“Essengue is a toolsy forward with a fluid handle, dynamic finishing package, and highly versatile defense,” O’Connor wrote on June 12. “But his long-term upside hinges on the jumper clicking. And if it doesn’t, his defense must reach a level that prevents coaches from keeping him off the floor.”
The Chicago Bulls have selected Noa Essengue with the No. 12 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Bulls will keep this pick.
Moreover, and encouraging for the Bulls, Essengue has greatness in his sights.
“I want to be a guy who can do everything on the court. I watch a lot of Kevin Durant, Brandon Ingram and Kawhi Leonard, players that can dribble, pass, shoot and defend,” he told ESPN.
