The Chicago Bulls have announced that they have waived guard Jaden Ivey for “conduct detrimental to the team,” after he made anti-LGBTQ+ comments on social media.
Ivey went on Instagram live and said, “They proclaim Pride Month in the NBA. They proclaim it…They show it to the world. They say, ‘Come join us for Pride,’ for Pride Month to celebrate unrighteousness. They proclaim it. They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim it in the streets. Unrighteousness. So how is it that one can’t speak righteousness? How are they to say that this man is crazy?”
The Bulls’ announcement that they waived the guard came after this Instagram live. The Bulls, however, have said that the release didn’t stem from that single video but an accumulation of posts and comments that started in February.
After the Bulls announced the move, Ivey doubled down on his position. “All I’m preaching is about Jesus Christ and they waived me, right? They say I’m crazy, right? I’m psycho,” Ivey said. “…God let these things happen for a reason. His will be done. May His will be done. Not my will. My will is done.”
How we got here
The Detroit Pistons selected Ivey with the 5th pick of the 2022 NBA Draft. The Pistons wanted the talented guard out of Purdue to be part of their rebuild as they looked to take a major step forward. In his first couple of seasons, he played well, averaging 15.6 points while shooting 42.25% from the field.
Unfortunately, in his third season, Ivey would suffer a major leg injury that would limit him to 30 games that season. After that, he would never play more than 37 games in a season. He came back this season after suffering a knee injury in 2025, but things didn’t look the same. He lost his starting spot, and his minutes per game dropped from around 29 to 16. Additionally, he dropped to 8.2 points per game, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.
Eventually, the Bulls acquired him as part of a three-team deal. He played in his first four games with the team; however, those would be the only four games he would appear in. This is because he was a healthy scratch for the first time in his career against the Raptors on February 19. After the game, he said, “I’m not the J.I. I used to be. The old J.I. is dead…I’m alive in Christ no matter what the basketball setting is.”
The implications
At the time of his release, the Bulls had already shut down Ivey for the rest of the season, so he wasn’t necessarily a major impact player for the Bulls. However, he doesn’t have a long-term deal in place, so he will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
It’ll be interesting to see if he gets another shot next season. His health has been a major question that many people have been trying to answer. If he can play, he has shown flashes of talent. However, teams may not be willing to take on a player that carries baggage like this.
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