Bulls' Billy Donovan Addresses Suddenly Complicated Jaden Ivey Situation

CHICAGO – Billy Donovan was still trying to wrap his head around everything. The head coach was back at the Advocate Center on Friday following a difficult week. Bill Donovan, Billy's father, passed away on February 14. The Chicago Bulls' veteran leader was away from the organization as he mourned the loss, leaving Wes Unseld Jr. to serve as head coach for Thursday night's meeting with the Toronto Raptors.

Chicago proceeded to suffer its seventh consecutive loss (fifth since the February 5 trade deadline). The team also turned the ball over 23 times, as the lack of chemistry for this new group remained painfully apparent. All things considered, the game itself was remarkably forgettable. The aftermath, however, was anything but.

Recently acquired guard Jaden Ivey shockingly became the odd man out. To be sure, everyone knew there would be a rotation crunch with the return of a healthy Josh Giddey and Tre Jones. The Bulls put themselves in this situation with a bizarre deadline that saw them welcome four guards who all warranted playing time.

Nevertheless, Ivey seemed like a priority. Selected Top 5 in the 2022 NBA Draft and headed toward restricted free agency this offseason, he represented the kind of piece a rebuilding team would normally hope to evaluate as a future building block. Wes Unseld Jr.'s decision to keep him off the floor, though, went directly against that sentiment.

Jaden Ivey of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 15, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) looks on in the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The interim head coach deemed it nothing more than a "basketball decision" after the game. Ivey himself painted a different, more perplexing picture.

“I’ve been dealing with knee soreness in my knee," Ivey told reporters in the locker room (h/t CHGO). "I’m sure people can call it out. I’m not the same player as I used to be. That’s why. 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. I’m born again.”

To be clear, Ivey was available to play and stated that it was a "series of things" that went into what he referred to as the first DNP-CD of his career. But it was still a head-scratching comment, one that put further into question where he stands both physically and mentally.

“I don’t think it’s something that’s going to limit me more or keep me from doing my job because I’m still able to go and play basketball," Ivey clarified. "Obviously, they need me to be at my best, need me to use my ability. That’s why they brought me here. So obviously got to work through that and figure that out.”

The process of figuring that out started less than 24 hours later.

As Donovan stood in front of reporters after Friday's practice, he revealed that Ivey was not in attendance and was undergoing further testing on his knee. He stressed multiple times that he believed Ivey was not moving well over his first four games. While he suggested that this could be due, in part, to the sudden change of scenery and situation, Ivey's mention of his knee soreness clearly raised alarm bells.

"Seeing him early in his career in Detroit, coming back I think for him, in my opinion, he's not moving like he once did. I know maybe he mentioned after the game he was dealing with some soreness in his knee. I don't know how much it's affecting him. He was definitely available to play, nothing has kept him out with his knee. But today he wasn't here. He's getting checked out to see if everything is ok. He was available to play, it was a coaching decision last night."

For what it's worth, Ivey did appear in 33 straight games for the Detroit Pistons before the trade. While his minutes sat at a career-low 16.8 a night, the consistent playing time suggested that he was trending up after undergoing a minor knee surgery in the preseason. The Bulls even went on to play him in four straight games upon his arrival, where he clocked at least 28 minutes of action in three of the four contests.

Following his surprising DNP-CD, Billy Donovan said Jaden Ivey was not at practice today. He expressed some knee soreness and is getting checked out.

To be clear, Donovan said he was available and could play. Soreness was a concern after.

“He’s not moving like he once did.” pic.twitter.com/WmAFjONVhG
— Elias Schuster (@Schuster_Elias) February 20, 2026

So, has this recent ramp-up come with a setback? If so, why has the messaging been that Ivey is available to play and the Thursday benching had nothing to do with an injury? All we know for sure is that this is a very confusing situation for a team that was already in a very confusing place.

"We'll see what the doctors say when he comes back from this. We'll see where all that's at. But I wouldn't say this is a situation where he's just out of the rotation," Donovan said. "I think when we're looking at the group coming out of the All-Star break, we're trying to put the guys out there that we feel like will contribute and help ... We're going to have to figure out a lot of the rotation."

The Jaden Ivey Conundrum

To say there was a sense of bewilderment in the Advocate Center on Friday would be an understatement. Of course, a level of this is understandable following Donovan's tragic week. He was put in a tough position by having to address this Jaden Ivey situation mere hours after returning to the Advocate Center. The truth is, he wasn't coaching the game. And, to his credit, he at least said the rotation remains fluid.

Still, questions obviously exist after a player like Ivey rides the bench. The trade deadline decision-making implied a step backward and thus a new focus on player development. If you were making a list of current Bulls who should not record a DNP, Ivey might as well be at the top of the list. Evaluation is key before restricted free agency arrives this summer.

Indeed, this is the kind of move that raises concern about the messaging behind the scenes. If the Bulls are not prioritizing development and potential lottery odds, how are they any different than the team that just went to three straight Play-In Tournaments? The answer: They're not.

If Ivey is hurt and needs more rehab, this whole story obviously takes another important turn. But the Bulls have insisted thus far that he can play, which is what continues to make Thursday's decision the kind that has drawn a lot of attention. If the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference could find time for Ivey to be on the floor, it sure feels in the Bulls' best interest to do the same.