By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
In a rookie season spent more in the training room than on the hardwood, Noa Essengue of the Chicago Bulls is finally providing a spark of optimism. Speaking with K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network before Friday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers, the 19-year-old French standout confirmed he is targeting a return to action for the upcoming NBA Summer League.
Essengue, the 12th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, presented by State Farm, saw his debut campaign abruptly halted three months ago by season-ending surgery on his left shoulder. Now cleared for non-contact basketball activities, the former ratiopharm Ulm standout remains undeterred by the setback.
“It’s been a tough year,” Essengue admitted. “But a goal in life is to always stay positive. It doesn’t matter what happens, whether you’re playing well or struggling, whether you’re injured or healthy, you stay positive and keep working. That’s exactly what I’ve done.”
His recovery update served as a rare silver lining on a night when Chicago’s postseason aspirations continued to fade. The Bulls fell 119–108 to the Clippers, dropping to a 27–40 record in the 2025-26 Regular Season and teetering on the brink of elimination. In the loss, Lithuanian starter Matas Buzelis posted an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double, while France’s Guerschon Yabusele added 11 points off the bench in his return from left foot soreness.
For the victorious Clippers, French veteran Nicolas Batum finished with three points. However, Serbia’s Bogdan Bogdanovic was out of the rotation, and Switzerland’s Yanic Konan Niederhauser remained sidelined with a right Lisfranc ligament tear.