The Chicago Bulls selected Noa Essengue with their 12th overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft. It came as a slight surprise, as many expected the Bulls to take a center, as Nikola Vucevic is aging, they don't have a great backup option, and Maryland center Derik Queen was still on the board.

The 18-year-old is raw but has a lot of skills and athleticism, especially defensively. Essengue played in Germany last season.

Essengue has the ability to run the court and attack off the dribble, averaging 12.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in Germany this season.