While the likes of Cooper Flagg and other lottery picks have been limited in the amount of run they get in Summer League play, the Bulls are hoping that Noa Essengue can play as many minutes as they can feed him.

The 18-year-old Essengue enticed the Bulls with his strength and his athleticism. He is still getting adjusted to the physical style of play in the United States.

Last week, the Chicago Bulls used the 12th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to select French phenom Noa Essengue. In the second round, they traded away the 45th pick and ended up using the 55th pick to select Australian big man Lachlan Olbrich.

Coach Billy Donovan III was looking forward to seeing what Essengue was made of after a dismal NBA Summer League debut Friday. The rookie took some positive steps before leaving the game with a leg injury.

At 18, Essengue is part of a new generation of post-Jordan hoopers who are likelier to align with James as the face of NBA greatness. And he didn’t downplay his fandom of James, whom he considers to be Jordan’s equal.