Bulls obtain disabled player exception after Noa Essengue’s shoulder injury
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The Chicago Bulls have secured a disabled player exception in the wake of rookie forward Noa Essengue undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery earlier this month, the team confirmed.
The exception was granted after Essengue, the No. 12 overall pick in this year’s draft, was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign. He appeared in just two games and totaled six minutes before suffering the injury.
Under league rules, a disabled player exception does not add a roster spot but offers limited spending flexibility. Chicago can use the allowance to claim a player off waivers, trade for an expiring contract, or sign a free agent to a one-year deal.
The value of the exception is set at the lesser of half the injured player’s salary or the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Because Essengue carries a cap hit of roughly $5.43 million, the Bulls’ exception is worth about $2.7 million.
Chicago has yet to use its mid-level or bi-annual exceptions this season and still holds part of a trade exception, leaving open the possibility that the disabled player exception remains unused. Nevertheless, it provides the front office with another option as the trade deadline approaches.
The Bulls said Essengue is expected to be fully recovered in time for the 2026-27 season.
Source: Hoops Wire
