Essengue (shoulder) will start Friday's Summer League game against Memphis.
Essengue underwent left shoulder surgery in December and had his rookie season cut short, but he will return to action in the Bulls' Las Vegas Summer League opener. He'll be joined in the first unit by Caleb Wilson, Dailyn Swain, Jaylin Sellers and Tobe Awaka.
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Bulls' Noa Essengue: Planning to play in Las Vegas
Rotowire
Essengue (shoulder) said Monday he's planning to play in the Las Vegas Summer League, Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic reports.
Essengue said it remains to be seen how many games he will appear in, noting that his shoulder is "about 98 percent." He added that he's still working on some range-of-motion stuff following his surgery. Essengue appears to be buried on the depth chart with the Bulls selecting Caleb Wilson at No. 4 and Dailyn Swain at No. 15 during the 2026 NBA Draft.
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Bulls' Noa Essengue: Falling further down depth chart
Rotowire
Essengue (shoulder) appears to be buried on the depth chart in the frontcourt after the Bulls picked Caleb Wilson at No. 4 and Dailyn Swain at No. 15 during the 2026 NBA Draft.
Essengue's rookie campaign was ruined due to shoulder surgery in December of 2025, limiting him to just two appearances at the NBA level. However, the 2025 first-rounder averaged 23.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 three-pointers, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals in 30.8 minutes per game over four appearances for the Windy City Bulls. Essengue stands out as a prime candidate to begin the 2026-27 season in the G League due to all of Chicago's frontcourt additions.
Essengue will undergo left shoulder surgery and will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network reports.
The No. 12 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Essengue's rookie season comes to an end with just two brief appearances to his name. The Bulls had a plan to bring him along slowly, to be clear, and he showed a lot of promise in four G League appearances with averages of 23.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.3 three-pointers.
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Bulls' Noa Essengue: Ruled out for Wednesday
Rotowire
Essengue (shoulder) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Nets.
Essengue will remain on the shelf after sustaining a left shoulder contusion in the G League on Friday. The rookie has totaled just six minutes over two appearances with the parent club this season, so his absence shouldn't cause any waves in Chicago's rotation.
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Bulls' Noa Essengue: Out Monday with bruised shoulder
Rotowire
Essengue won't play Monday against the Magic due to a left shoulder contusion.
After suffering the injury during his appearance Friday in the G League Windy City Bulls' win over the Cleveland Charge, Essengue rejoined the parent club and will now miss Chicago's second straight game due to the injury. Even when healthy, the rookie first-round pick hasn't been a regular part of head coach Billy Donovan's rotation.
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Bulls' Noa Essengue: Assigned to G League
Rotowire
Chicago assigned Essengue to the G League's Windy City Bulls on Tuesday, Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic reports.
Essengue saw his first taste of the NBA, playing a total of six minutes over his last two games. He'll continue to see the bulk of his reps in the G League for the time being.
The Bulls recalled Essengue from the G League's Windy City Bulls on Saturday.
Essengue totaled 22 points (7-13 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT) along with six rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in 31 minutes during the Windy City Bulls' 156-128 loss to the Iowa Wolves on Friday. He'll be with the parent club for Saturday's game against the Wizards, though the rookie first-rounder has yet to make his NBA regular-season debut.
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Bulls' Noa Essengue: Assigned to G League
Rotowire
Chicago assigned Essengue to the G League's Windy City Bulls on Friday.
Essengue has yet to make his NBA debut and will continue to see reps in the G League for the foreseeable future.
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Bulls' Noa Essengue: Recalled from G League
Rotowire
Chicago recalled Essengue from the G League's Windy City Bulls on Thursday.
Essengue went off in his G League debut Tuesday, producing 28 points (11-21 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 3-3 FT), eight rebounds and one assist in 29 minutes. He's yet to make his NBA debut, however, as the Bulls continue to bring him along slowly.
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Bulls' Noa Essengue: Recalled to NBA
Rotowire
Chicago recalled Essengue from the G League's Windy City Bulls on Monday.
Essengue was sent down for a practice and was immediately recalled by the NBA club. The rookie has yet to log a single minute at the NBA level.
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Bulls' Noa Essengue: Recalled to NBA
Rotowire
Chicago recalled Essengue from the G League's Windy City Bulls on Monday.
Essengue hasn't made his NBA debut yet and is likely to be back with Windy City before long.
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Bulls' Noa Essengue: Doesn't see floor in season opener
Rotowire
Essengue didn't play during Wednesday's 115-111 win over the Pistons.
The Bulls appear to be bringing the rookie first-rounder along slowly, as he was unable to crack the Opening Night rotation. Chicago could be better served by sending Essengue to the G League's Windy City Bulls so that he can get consistent reps and development time, but the parent club could opt to keep him around while Zach Collins (knee) is sidelined.
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Bulls' Noa Essengue: Scores eight points Tuesday
Rotowire
Essengue produced eight points (2-4 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 3-4 FT), five rebounds and two turnovers in 14 minutes of Tuesday's 118-117 preseason win over the Cavaliers.
Essengue sat out Chicago's final two Summer League games due to a quadriceps issue, but he had zero restrictions throughout camp. The No. 12 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft appeared in three Summer League outings with averages of 12.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals, and he carried that momentum into the preseason. There's been some talk about Essengue spending some time in the G League with the Bulls looking to bring him along slowly, so it will be interesting to see if he can keep making a case for an early-season role.
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Bulls' Noa Essengue: Full participant in practice Sunday
Rotowire
Essengue (quadriceps) was a full participant in Sunday's practice, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network reports.
Essengue sat out Chicago's final two Summer League games due to a quadriceps issue, though he's expected to be ready for Tuesday's preseason opener against the Cavaliers. The No. 12 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft appeared in three Summer League outings, during which he averaged 12.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 41.9 percent from the field across 24.9 minutes per game. Essengue may struggle to carve out a role with the Bulls immediately, as he's competing for minutes with Julian Phillips behind Matas Buzelis and Patrick Williams.
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