Bulls Have BIG Decisions Coming On Rob Dillingham & Noa Essengue

The Chicago Bulls have some important roster decisions coming before the October 31 contract-option deadline — and Rob Dillingham and Noa Essengue are right in the middle of them. 👀🐂

On today’s episode of Locked On Bulls, Haize and Pat The Designer break down what Chicago should do with Rob Dillingham’s fourth-year option and Noa Essengue’s third-year option. Both players still have upside, but both also have questions surrounding role, development, consistency, and how they fit into Bryson Graham and Tiago Splitter’s long-term vision.

The guys debate whether Dillingham has shown enough scoring ability and offensive upside to justify another year of investment, and whether Essengue’s tools, size, defense, and long-term ceiling are enough for Chicago to stay patient despite a potentially longer developmental timeline.

Then the conversation shifts to a fun roster-building exercise: which Bulls would be protected in an NBA expansion draft? If Chicago had to choose its core, who would make the cut?

Would Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, Nic Claxton, Norman Powell, Dailyn Swain, Rob Dillingham, Noa Essengue, Patrick Williams, Isaac Okoro, and others all be safe? Or would an expansion draft expose just how complicated some of the Bulls’ roster decisions really are?

Plus, Haize and Pat celebrate Phil Jackson’s 81st birthday and reflect on his place in Bulls history. Six championships, two three-peats, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and one of the greatest dynasties the NBA has ever seen — how much credit should Jackson receive for turning elite talent into a historic team?

Topics Include:
Rob Dillingham’s fourth-year contract option
Noa Essengue’s third-year contract option
Bulls’ October 31 deadline decisions
What Dillingham must prove before the deadline
Whether Chicago should stay patient with Essengue
Which Bulls would be protected in an expansion draft
Who Chicago could afford to expose
Bulls core hierarchy entering 2026-27
Phil Jackson’s 81st birthday
Phil Jackson’s legacy with the Chicago Bulls

The Bulls are still figuring out which young players truly belong in the long-term plan, and the upcoming option deadline is another important checkpoint. Add in the expansion draft exercise, and it becomes clear which players Chicago really views as foundational.

🎙️ Tune in to Locked On Bulls as Haize and Pat break down the futures of Rob Dillingham and Noa Essengue, build their Bulls expansion-draft protection lists, and celebrate Phil Jackson’s 81st birthday.

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