The drafting of Noa Essengue, the promising 18-year-old French prospect, has drawn attention — but not for the reasons fans might think. Essengue, selected No. 12 in the 2025 NBA Draft, has seen minimal floor time this season, ranking last among all lottery picks from this year’s class. Yet the rookie isn’t to blame. The real issue lies squarely with the Chicago Bulls’ front office and its long-standing executive, Artūras Karnisovas.
Karnisovas, now in his sixth season as executive vice president of basketball operations, has repeatedly asked for patience as he attempts to rebuild the roster. But the record speaks for itself: one playoff game win during his tenure. Despite promises to restore the franchise to Michael Jordan-era glory, the Bulls have consistently failed to show urgency in constructing a team capable of sustained success. Essengue, labeled a “project” on draft night, is the latest example of a long-term strategy that delays impact instead of producing immediate results.
Fans’ patience has already been tested. The Bulls began the 2025-26 season with a surprising 5-1 start, victories over Detroit, Orlando, New York, and Philadelphia giving hope that the franchise was finally on the right track. But the optimism proved fleeting. A subsequent 3-8 stretch, including losses to Utah, New Orleans, and Charlotte, exposed a team still soft, undersized, and lacking defensive tenacity — the same flaws that led to Miami humiliating them in last year’s play-in game.
Despite these glaring issues, Karnisovas doubled down on continuity rather than urgency, adding Isaac Okoro to a roster that remains deficient in size and physicality. Meanwhile, head coach Billy Donovan is left to answer questions in public about roster construction, injuries, and inconsistent performances while the executive operates with minimal accountability and almost invisible media presence. Donovan acknowledges the challenges but emphasizes that the roster’s core issues — physicality, size, and defensive consistency — remain unresolved.
Essengue, a potential elite defender, is unlikely to make an immediate impact under the current approach. Other young players, like Matas Buzelis and Coby White, are developing, but progress is slow. Veterans such as Nikola Vučević provide stability but cannot solve the team’s structural deficiencies. In other words, the franchise continues to operate in a state of limbo, relying on patience rather than action to drive meaningful change.
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Looking forward, the season offers three possible paths for the Bulls:
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Blow up the roster, move expiring contracts, acquire draft assets, and capitalize on a strong 2026 draft class.
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Take a high-risk gamble by adding a superstar like Anthony Davis, hoping health and talent align to take advantage of a temporarily weakened Eastern Conference.
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Maintain the status quo, continue evaluating the current roster, and prepare for another inevitable play-in appearance — essentially repeating the cycle that has defined Karnisovas’ tenure.
With no urgency or accountability, Karnisovas is afforded the luxury of patience, even as fans, analysts, and young players wait for meaningful change. Essengue’s limited role is symptomatic of a front office that prefers long-term projection over immediate competitiveness, leaving the Bulls stuck in a perpetual rebuild without a clear timeline.
For a franchise with championship aspirations, the question is simple: can the Bulls break free from a culture of inaction, or will they continue to let time slip by while promising talent like Essengue waits in the wings? Until Karnisovas acts decisively, the answer — and the team’s future — remains uncertain.
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