Tomorrow night in Chicago, the Bulls will host the Detroit Pistons to tip off the 2025-26 campaign. While most of the roster remains constant, and they've parted ways with the previously longest-tenured asset, Zach LaVine, there are a few spotlights to feature before the year begins. The last 18 months have seen a shift in mindset within the organization. The previous five years were wasted clinging to aging stars, overpaying for underperforming talents, and failing to have postseason success, evidenced by the 1-4 postseason record since 2017. This spring, the organization finally cut ties with most of those pieces. Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine are among the most significant moves. It seems the franchise has finally committed to a rebuild, or re-tool, as front office leader Arturas Karnisovas has called it. Here are the latest two contributions to the youth movement.
Noa Essengue
The more intriguing of the two additions this offseason was rookie Noa Essengue, who was drafted 12th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. Essengue did not take the typical path to the NBA. His last four years were spent playing in Europe, first in France and then in Germany, where he honed his skills and eventually played with France's senior team in the EuroBasket Qualifier. He was also named to France's U18 team in 2024 when competing in the 2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket. His last season in Germany, his head coach Ty Harrelson called the youngster a "key contributor".
Meet Noa Essengue 🇫🇷
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) June 26, 2025
• Explosiveness
• Versatility
• 2nd-youngest player in the Draft
🎥: @espn pic.twitter.com/hC7SJIJcRo
Like selecting Matas Buzelis, Julian Philips, and Dalen Terry, Karnisovas has a pattern for targeting elite athleticism, versatility, and young prospects. During the preseason, he scored on occasion, but the defense and activity on the glass were the two brightest attributes.
Isaac Okoro
The only other change to Chicago's roster heading into this season was trading away Lonzo Ball for Isaac Okoro. Many fans had a soft spot for Ball due to his resilient nature and unprecedented determination to continue playing after an injury that many thought would end his career. Okoro is a young, unproven, two-way talent. Early in his career with Cleveland, he started 174 out of 210 games. Over his last two years, he has only started 66 of 124. What happened? The Cavaliers shifted to a win-now mentality, and his stagnant numbers pushed him to the second unit. Chicago can be a fresh start for a player with real potential early in his career.
"What I like about him is his focus is on the defensive end."
— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) October 21, 2025
Is Isaac Okoro a guy who can help the Bulls take another step defensively? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/MGkx80zjCz
Looking at the roster, Okoro is very similar to the inconsistent, young guards that Chicago already has. This season will be a scrap to see who can earn playing time and potentially future contracts. Okoro has the advantage because he has played for a successful team the last several seasons, and he's a better defensive player than any of the existing options.
What contributions are Essengue and Okoro making this season, and will they be mainstay assets for years to come?
