The 2025 NBA Draft got underway on Wednesday night, and the Chicago Bulls were in possession of the 12th overall pick. The Bulls talked to multiple teams about trading up or back in the draft, but they decided to keep the 12th pick. Chicago ended up selecting French big man Noa Essengue. Essengue has a ton of raw talent, but he is young and in need of some development. There are some Bulls fans that are worried about the team's ability to develop him, but Chicago has a plan.

Bulls GM Marc Eversley met with the media after night one of the 2025 NBA Draft, and he discussed the pick in detail. The Bulls are impressed with his defensive prowess, and they see him as a two-way player in the pros.

“Bulls GM Marc Eversley said he envisions Noa Essengue as two-way player and is impressed by his ability to get downhill and get to FT line,” K.C. Johnson said in a post. “Likes his defensive versatility.”

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Last season, the Bulls used their first round draft pick to select Matas Buzelis. The Buzelis pick quickly panned out as he was an immediate impact player. Marc Eversley sees some similarities between Essengue and Buzelis, but it sounds like the Bulls are expecting Essengue to require more time before he becomes a major contributor.

“Bulls GM Marc Eversley says Noa Essengue is going to ‘need a period to assimilate' both on and off the court,” Matt Zahn said in a post. “But says he’s a two-player whose game is a little similar to Matas Buzelis.”

Night one of the NBA Draft is in the books, and there is still one more round to go. The Bulls are currently in possession of the 15th pick in the second round, which is the 45th overall pick in the draft. Day two of the 2025 NBA Draft will get underway on Thursday at 8 ET from the Barclays Center in New York.