Chicago Bulls rookie forward Noa Essengue will require surgery to address a left shoulder injury and is expected to miss the remainder of the season, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network.
Bulls Prefer To Address Injury Now
Head coach Billy Donovan previously noted that Essengue suffered the injury in a G League game. The injury, however, was initially diagnosed as a shoulder contusion.
“He’s been dealing with some shoulder stuff to begin with, and I think he ended up going up for a rebound, and his arm got jerked,” Donovan said.
“He didn’t dislocate his shoulder, but he’s got some looseness and some movement in there that they need to kind of tighten up for him, or that’s going to probably continue to happen.”
Injury Update: Noa Essengue will have shoulder surgery and will miss the remainder of the season, per Billy Donovan. pic.twitter.com/ej2he33HCF
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 3, 2025
Donovan noted that the team preferred to address the injury now rather than later.
“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 continued. “The decision was made pretty much sometime today.”
More importantly, the news was a tough pill to swallow for the 18-year-old.
“Disappointed,” Donovan said, when asked about Essengue’s response. “I talked to him the other day. I think he had met with doctors and was trying to wrap his head around that, and then ultimately, him, his representation, our medical guys, just talking to different doctors and stuff, getting some second opinions and things like that, presented him the information.”
Noa Essengue Saw Limited Playing Time
Essengue, who was selected 12th overall by the Bulls in the 2025 draft, appeared in only two games and played just six minutes for the NBA franchise in his rookie season.
In addition, Essengue played in four games for the Windy City Bulls, the team’s G League affiliate, averaging 23 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 30.8 minutes per outing.
Per Spotrac, Essengue signed a four-year, $25.33 million rookie-scale contract with the Chicago Bulls. His deal includes club options for 2027-28 and 2028-29.
The Bulls are scheduled to host the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. After starting the season with a 6-1 record, they have since gone just 3-10, dropping to 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Chicago is also missing forwards Kevin Huerter (left hamstring strain), Zach Collins (left scaphoid fracture), and Jalen Smith (left hamstring strain), as well as guards Coby White (left calf strain), Isaac Okoro (left leg, pinched nerve), and Tre Jones (left ankle sprain).
