Bulls President Tempering Expectations For First-Round Rookie Forward

The Chicago Bulls front office don't want to get ahead of themselves with their most recent first-round pick

Sep 29, 2025; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Noa Essengue (24) poses for photos during Chicago Bulls Media Day. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bulls took Noa Essengue with the 12th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The 18-year-old could be a solid player for the Bulls, but no one will know until he actually gets playtime.

With the Bulls retooling this offseason, and the rise of last year's draft pick in Matas Buzelis, the Bulls front office doesn't want to get ahead of themselves, but are optimistic about the young rookie's skillset.

What The Bulls Front Office Expects

Yuki Kawamura lob to Noa Essengue 👀 pic.twitter.com/ESEEeYo5po

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) July 6, 2025

There is obviously a transition for rookies entering the league, as everything is new. Or at least that's how Bulls head coach Billy Donovan views that process.

Reported by the Chicago Sun Times, Donovan said "There’s processes [rookies] go through that you have to help them with other than ball handling, passing, and shooting." Given that Essengue is also coming from overseas, it will be a bigger change than other rookies will experience.

Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Noa Essengue stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the 12th pick by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

"Just how to be a pro, how to get yourself prepared to play, how you can impact the game, how you pay attention to scouting reports, how you watch film," Donovan continued. "Do you go home and actually work and do some things? Those are the things you try to help players with, and hopefully those things transfer onto the court.”

They experienced this last year with Buzelis, who started last season relatively slowly, but by the end really made a name for himself within the organization.

For Essengue, it's a lot of unknowns right now.

Noa Essengue dropped 20 points in an NBA preseason game when he was 17 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2nE1nwa2py

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) June 26, 2025

“We’re not going to put high expectations on what’s going to happen,” Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas said. “We’re just going to see how [Essengue] does the rest of training camp and how he does in the preseason. We’ll make those decisions then.”

Who Exactly Is Noa Essengue?

The 18-year-old French player spent time in European leagues before he was selected by the Bulls in this year's draft. He's 6-foot-10 with a long, skinny frame. There is upside to drafting young, as the Bulls can coach him into the type of forward they're looking for.

The rookie possesses a good mid-range game. With his length, he can extend into the paint easily and uses his first step to get around defenders for open layups.

BULLS DUO IMPRESSES IN #NBA2KSummerLeague WIN 👏👏

Matas Buzelis: 28 points
Noa Essengue (No. 12 pick): 21 points pic.twitter.com/7Yzf0N6PJG

— NBA (@NBA) July 15, 2025

“He’s going to have to get better with his strength; he’s going to have to get better guarding the ball one-on-one,” Donovan said. “I think as young as Essengue is, this is going to be a process for him.”

Essengue already has a feel for the game, according to Donovan. It'll be interesting to see how the rookie performs once he's put into a real-game situation.