Bulls rookie Noa Essengue to have season-ending surgery on left shoulder

By Canadian Press on December 3, 2025.

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bulls rookie forward Noa Essengue, the 12th overall pick in the NBA draft, will have surgery on his left shoulder and miss the remainder of the season, coach Billy Donovan said Wednesday night before a game against Brooklyn.

The 18-year-old Essengue, from France, made his debut Nov. 22 against Washington and appeared in two games for Chicago. He totaled just over six minutes, going 0 for 3 from the floor. In four games with the G-League Windy City Bulls, Essengue averaged 23 points, 8.5 rebounds and 30.8 minutes.

“I think the recommendation was to get it fixed now instead of waiting, because it’s something that could continue to be a problem for him” Donovan said. “The decision was made pretty much some time today.”

The Bulls also are missing forwards Coby White (left calf strain), Kevin Huerter (left hamstring strain), Zach Collins (left scaphoid fracture), and Jalen Smith (left hamstring strain), as well as guards Isaac Okoro (left leg, pinched nerve) and Tre Jones (left ankle sprain).

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The Associated Press