Noa Essengue

A long, springy French forward, Essengue reached the NBA young after cutting his teeth against grown men in Germany's Bundesliga with Ratiopharm Ulm, where his production and disruptive length made him the No. 12 pick to Chicago in 2025. His rookie year, though, became a lost one: after roughly six minutes across two NBA appearances, a shoulder injury requiring surgery ended his season on December 3. The glimpse that mattered came in the G League, where he averaged 23.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in four Windy City games — a reminder that the tools translate when he's healthy. Essengue projects as a modern combo forward who can defend multiple positions and run the floor, and Chicago's patience reflects a bet on developmental upside rather than immediate production. The real evaluation of his NBA game waits until 2026-27.