The Bulls secure a disabled player exception. What are they gonna do next with it?
The Chicago Bulls were granted a disabled player exception for rookie forward Noa Essengue, according to league sources reported by NBA Insider Jake Fischer. The 19-year-old rookie is out for the season due to shoulder surgery.
Essengue, selected 12th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, suffered a shoulder dislocation during a G League game in November. He underwent surgery in early December, with a recovery timeline of six to seven months that effectively ended his rookie campaign.
Before the injury, Essengue had shown promise in the G League, averaging 23.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists over four games with the Windy City Bulls. He logged just six minutes across two NBA appearances.
The exception allows the Bulls to sign a replacement player for up to 50% of Essengue's salary ($5,429,520) or use the league's mid-level exception amount, whichever is less. This gives Chicago additional roster flexibility as it navigates a 10-15 stretch that exposed concerns. With 15 players in the roster and $13.6 million below the tax, the Bulls will have to make a move before using any of these exceptions.
According to CHGO's Will Gottlieb, the Bulls remain about $6.1 million in their traded player exception from the Zach LaVine trade after acquiring Isaac Okoro. Simultaneously, Chicago also has access to its full non-tax mid-level exception ($14.1 million), which allows it to acquire a player via trade as well as the bi-annual exception ($5.1 million).
This isn't the first time the Bulls have been granted a disabled player exception. In 2023, they received a $10.2 million one for Lonzo Ball, who missed the 2023-24 season due to a knee injury and a lengthy recovery process. Instead of pursuing a big deal to risk the luxury-tax boundary, the Bulls, not utilizing the exception directly, used the mid-level exception to add veteran guard Jevon Carter, while maintaining roster flexibility by re-signing Ayo Dosunmu. Chicago eventually avoided fully spending the exception to disrupt their existing rotation.
With Essengue sidelined, the Bulls could use this DPE similarly to add a rotation player that could address what the current roster needs or hold it for a mid-season opportunity if a buy-out market candidate emerges.