Chicago Bulls Reportedly Given Disabled Player Exception, Here's What That Means

The Chicago Bulls will receive some financial assistance following Noa Essengue's season-ending injury.

According to The Stein Line's Jake Fischer and others, the NBA has granted the franchise a Disabled Player Exception in the wake of the rookie's shoulder injury. The No. 12 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Essengue hurt his shoulder in a game for the Windy City Bulls and has since undergone surgery. He is expected to rehab and remain sidelined for the rest of the 2025-26 campaign

A DPE is worth half of a player's salary, meaning that the Bulls have earned a $2.7 million exception. Essengue is set to make $5.4 million in this first year of his four-year, $25.3 million contract. Chicago can now use this money to sign a free agent or absorb a player's contract via trade. However, as things tend to be in the NBA, the rules are not that simple.

Will the Chicago Bulls use their Disabled Player Exception?

Noa Essengue of the Chicago Bulls — Oct 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Noa Essengue (24) warms up before an NBA game against the Atlanta Hawks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

A Disabled Player Exception is not free money. There are pretty strict rules regarding how a front office can put this stipend to use, which includes limiting the kind of player the Bulls could pursue. Not only would they need to be making a cheap $2.7 million, but this player must also be on an expiring contract.

In other words, if the Bulls do want to sign a player out of free agency, it must be on a one-year deal that's worth $2.7 million or less. If they want to trade for a player using this exception, that player must already be making this amount or less AND in the final year of his existing deal. It's also worth noting that DPE's can not be spread out among multiple players like other well-known exceptions. Nevertheless, that point is rather irrelevant in this specific scenario because of the smaller dollar amount.

Speaking of which, the $2.7 million price tag does make it feel particularly unlikely that this exception goes unused. I suppose it is possible the Bulls decide to take a flyer on a very cheap player at some point this season, but we also have to consider that they currently have a full 15-man roster. Someone would need to be waived for them to sign a free agent or claim someone off waivers. Essengue being out for the year doesn't simply open up a roster spot. And, again, if they would rather put this to use in the trade market, they'd have to target a very specific player on an expiring deal.

The Bulls will likely be better off prioritizing the many other exceptions they have at their disposal. As trade rumors begin to swirl, the front office continues to have some rare flexibility. Along with their seven expiring contracts, the Bulls still have their full mid-level exception ($14.1 million) and the bi-annual exception to use ($5.1 million). They even have a $6.1 million exception still sitting around from their Zach LaVine trade last season (h/t Spotrac).

Most importantly, Chicago is $13.6 million below the luxury tax threshold. Staying well below this mark shouldn't be a problem for the franchise and gives them plenty of room to get creative come the February trade deadline. Whether they want to shock the league and pursue an impact player or be a dumping ground for teams in exchange for draft capital, they will have a clear runway.