The Chicago Bulls took a swing in the NBA draft Wednesday night by selecting French teenager Noa Essengue with the No. 12 pick.
A 6-foot-10 forward boasting a 7-1 wingspan, the 18-year-old Essengue was one of the youngest prospects in this draft class — and one of the latest arrivals. He was playing for Ulm in the playoffs of the Basketball Bundesliga, a top league in Germany, until Sunday, when he flew to the U.S. for a handful of private workouts before official draft activities began Tuesday.
Essengue offers plenty of upside, including a versatile physical profile and an ability to play a variety of positions. But his game also brings plenty of wrinkles for the Bulls to iron out. Whether Essengue can grow into his stature, develop a reliable shot and learn to play through contact will define the overall success of this pick in the long term.
Essengue is three days older than No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, who was the youngest player in the draft class.
This is only the first step of a busy offseason for the Bulls, who were eliminated from the play-in tournament for the third year in a row after a 39-43 season. The previous season signaled an acceptance by the front office that change is necessary, resulting in the departures of former standouts DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso.
Despite his notable wingspan, Essengue doesn’t offer the same tangibles as other bigs in this draft — and he doesn’t give the Bulls a clear succession plan for veteran center Nikola Vučević, who has made it clear as he enters the final year of his contract that he doesn’t wish to spend the end of his career mired in a rebuild.
The Bulls have been actively shopping Vučević for more than a year but chose not to trade him at the deadline in February. With Essengue now in place, the Bulls will shift their focus toward moving Vučević — while also pursuing a new deal with restricted free agent Josh Giddey and potential plans for Patrick Williams, Lonzo Ball and other assets.
