NBA
NE
#24

Noa Essengue

Forward · Chicago Bulls · 6'8", 200 lb · Born Dec 18, 2006 · Orléans, France · Drafted 12th overall, 2025
No. 12 pick (2025)🇫🇷 FranceAthletic forwardDefense & transition
NBAChicago BullsForwards
Compare:vs Okorovs Giddeyvs Buzelisvs Williamsvs Jonesvs Edwards
In short

Noa Essengue is a 6-foot-8 French forward for the Chicago Bulls, drafted 12th in 2025 after developing professionally with Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany. One of the youngest players in his draft class, he is a long, athletic, defense-and-transition forward whose main development need is outside shooting. His rookie season was cut short by shoulder surgery.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceThu, Nov 12
vsCleveland CavaliersAggressive hedge & help
Proj. points
6.4
range 3.7–9.1
Line 6.5
49%
to go over
Team win
56%
113–112
Poi 6.4 Lean underReb 4 Lean overAss 1.2 Lean overPRA 11.6 Lean over
Likely on himEvan Mobley· 82 Perimeter DStrong defender
5+ pts68%10+ pts12%

Model lines Essengue at 6.4 pts (range 3.7–9.1) vs a 6.5 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (49%).

Biggest edge: venue — home floor — small boost.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Essengue
The Essengue Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
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A long, athletic French forward and No. 12 pick — defense and transition for the Bulls.

From Orléans via Germany's Bundesliga with Ratiopharm Ulm, Essengue was drafted 12th in 2025.

🇫🇷 Ulm · 12th, 2025One of the youngest

A long, athletic forward, he defends multiple positions and thrives in transition.

Versatile DTransition

He dominated in the G League before a shoulder surgery ended his rookie year.

🩹 ShoulderG League standout

His outside shooting and strength are the keys to his development.

Shooting swingHigh upside
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
6.4
2025-26
RPG
4
per game
APG
1.2
per game
FG%
.470
.300 from three
LIFE

Roots & the rise

A long, athletic French forward and No. 12 pick — defense and transition for the Bulls.

Noa Essengue was born in Orléans, France and developed through France's national program and then Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany's Bundesliga, averaging around 10 points and 4.5 rebounds. Chicago drafted him 12th in 2025 as one of the youngest players in the class.

A long, athletic forward who can guard multiple positions and thrives in transition, he appeared in a handful of NBA games and dominated in the G League before a season-ending shoulder surgery cut his rookie year short. His outside shooting and added strength are the keys to his development.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

Essengue came up through Orléans's youth ranks and France's Centre Fédéral before turning pro in Germany at a young age, representing France at the youth level and being called into senior EuroBasket qualifiers. At just 18 when drafted, he arrived with pro experience but a still-forming game.

His on-court identity is length, athleticism, and versatility — a mobile forward who defends positions one through four, runs the floor, and finishes at the rim, with good hands and feel for his size. His three-point shooting and strength are the clear development areas; scouts have compared his ceiling to a versatile two-way wing and his floor to a defensive forward, making him a high-upside developmental piece.

PERSONALITY

The person

A long, athletic, versatile forward — multi-position defense, transition, and finishing.

Versatile defenderLong and mobile enough to guard positions 1-4.
Transition threatRuns the floor and finishes at the rim.
Shooting swing skillOutside shooting is the main development need.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Young Athletic Forward
Temperament
Spark
Leadership
58/100
Scoring52
Playmaking37
Rebounding60
Perimeter D72
Rim protection45
Spacing53
Athleticism70
Clutch60
a young, athletic developmental forward
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

Length, athleticism, versatility

Essengue's value is defensive versatility and transition play — a long, athletic 6-foot-8 forward who can guard positions one through four, runs the floor, and finishes at the rim with good feel for his size. That multi-position defense and athleticism give him a high-upside developmental profile for the Bulls' rebuild.

Shooting and strength to grow

The clear development areas are three-point shooting and added strength — plus the refinement that comes with age (he was one of the youngest players in his class). His rookie NBA sample was negligible due to a shoulder surgery, so his projection is speculative, but his length, defense, and transition scoring give him a plausible path to a rotation two-way forward.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-264216.56.44.01.2.470.300

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

EuropeDeveloped with Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany's Bundesliga before the draft
2025Drafted 12th overall by Chicago — one of the youngest players in the class
2025-26Rookie season cut short by season-ending shoulder surgery

Hardware

No. 12
Draft pick (2025)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 13, 2026

A high-upside, athletic French forward — defense and transition for the Bulls' rebuild.

Essengue is a developmental swing forward whose value depends heavily on shooting development. His defensive versatility, length, and transition scoring give him a plausible path to a rotation role, but a shoulder surgery and extreme youth mean his trajectory is still open. A high-upside project for Chicago.

Length / athleticismStrong
Defensive versatilityPromising
Transition scoringGood
Perimeter shootingDeveloping

Contract

Draft
No. 12, 2025 rookie
Role
Swing forward project
Age
19 rising
Bottom line

A long, athletic, versatile French forward with defensive upside and transition scoring — a high-upside developmental piece for Chicago, with shooting and strength the keys.

FAQ

Quick answers

What kind of player is Noa Essengue?

A long, athletic 6-foot-8 French forward who defends multiple positions and thrives in transition, with outside shooting his main development area.

Where did Noa Essengue develop before the NBA?

Through France's national program and then Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany's Bundesliga, before Chicago drafted him 12th in 2025.

What happened to Noa Essengue as a rookie?

His season was cut short by a season-ending shoulder surgery, limiting his NBA sample.