Did the Chicago Bulls Actually Make a Huge Draft Night Mistake?

The Chicago made the news official on Saturday morning.

The franchise announced via a press release that rookie Noa Essengue will miss the remainder of the season and undergo shoulder surgery. Head coach Billy Donovan first shared this message earlier in the week ahead of the team's matchup with the Brooklyn Nets.

The No. 12 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Bulls were taking a particularly cautious approach with Essengue to begin his NBA career. The Frenchman was the second-youngest player to come off the board, being viewed by many as a clear project piece. Chicago was taking that to heart by having him spend the majority of his playing time with their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls.

It was there that Essengue suffered the injury that would require this season-ending surgery. In fact, he only appeared in a total of two NBA games for a combined 6 minutes of action.

Bulls officially announce Essengue will have surgery on his left shoulder and be out for the season

Still no clarification on the exact injury or procedure. pic.twitter.com/erBIygaqSL
— Will Gottlieb (@Will_Gottlieb) December 6, 2025

On the surface, Essengue's youth and projected limited role this season might make the news a little easier to stomach. But the truth is that a fully healthy rookie year was going to be tremendously helpful regardless. Particularly when we consider how much developing his game needs, halting that for a seven-month recovery feels like a significant setback.

And that's why some fans are already starting to wonder if the Bulls made a big draft night mistake.

Should the Chicago Bulls Have Gone with Derik Queen or Traded Back?

To be clear, whether or not the majority of fans are questioning the Chicago Bulls' draft night decision is something we simply do not know. However, I have seen enough comments and questions thrown out on social media that it felt like revisiting June 25 might be worthwhile.

When the Chicago Bulls were on the clock, many were surprised to see that Maryland standout forward Derik Queen was still on the board. The Bulls had been connected to him multiple times throughout the pre-draft process. While some believed he could be near the top of their board, others reported questions about his potential fit with the front office's preferred style of play.

When Adam Silver walked to the lectern, he ultimately announced Noa Essengue as the franchise's lottery pick. It was not seen as a shocker nor a reach, as many had the overseas pro as a lottery-level talent. However, seeing Queen slip to No. 13 undoubtedly came as a surprise, and the Pelicans acted fast to secure the forward.

Almost immediately following Chicago's pick, it was announced that new front office leader Joe Dumars sent a 2026 unprotected first-round and the No. 23 pick to the Atlanta Hawks for the rights to Queen.

Considering that this amazing haul for Queen was on the table at No. 13, many quickly speculated that the Chicago Bulls were presented with the same offer from New Orleans. Then, Dumars himself shared that he started making offers to move up at No. 9 until finally getting a deal done at No. 13. So it certainly sounds as though the Bulls received a phone call from the Pelicans that night.

Queen has gone on to impress in New Orleans, averaging 12.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. He's also shot 48.2 percent from the field and 78.4 percent from the charity stripe. The versatile skillset that turned heads at Maryland has been on full display. The six-foot-nine big man has been taking opponents off the dribble, dishing dimes, and overpowering players in the post.

As if seeing Queen make an instant impression doesn't make you think twice, the pick Atlanta received from New Orleans is also looking incredibly valuable. The Pelicans are 3-20 on the season with the worst record in the NBA. In other words, Atlanta currently has tremendous odds to land a Top 3 pick in a deep 2026 draft, all while they try to go on a playoff run in the East.

So not only did the Bulls pass on a player that looks pretty darn solid over the first 20+ games of the season, but they potentially passed on an opportunity to grab one of the most valuable picks in the 2026 draft. It's hard not to think about that as Essengue heads for surgery, and the organization has dropped six straight games.

With that said, hindsight is always 20/20. It's far too early to judge whether going with Essengue over Queen was the wrong decision, and this would have been the case regardless of Essengue's shoulder injury. The sample size needs to be a lot bigger, especially for Essengue, who was always going to be viewed as the longer-term project.

Noa Essengue of the Chicago Bulls — 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

As for potentially rebuffing the trade, I think it would be fair for some to already criticize that decision. But how do we know the same exact offer was on the table? Sure, perhaps the Bulls' front office could have put more pressure on the Pelicans and forced their hand, but we have no idea what that conversation looked like. Perhaps New Orleans knew that the Bulls weren't all that serious about Queen, whereas the Hawks suggested otherwise.

There is so much we don't know about that situation. And if the Bulls deserve criticism for turning down an unprotected first (and maybe they do), the same goes for the teams that picked in front of them and were supposedly also contacted by New Orleans.

At the end of the day, it's hard not to feel like the Bulls slipped up in some capacity right now. The majority of us likely do agree on that. However, it's still too early to actually rule one way or the other. Knowing this organization's recent track record, this very well may be the conclusion we come to down the road, but now isn't the time to make that judgment call.