Chicago Bulls' Latest Jaden Ivey Update Raises Some More Alarm Bells

The Chicago Bulls latest update on Jaden Ivey fails to answer many questions.

Ahead of Tuesday night's battle with the Oklahoma City Thunder at the United Center, Billy Donovan told reporters that the recently acquired guard will not travel with the team later this week. Instead, the plan is for Ivey to stay back and continue rehabbing his sore knee for the entirety of the five-game road trip.

The Bulls' meeting with the Thunder marks the end of a seven-game homestand. They will now head out west and not return to the United Center until March 16 against the Memphis Grizzlies. In the meantime, they will face the Suns, Kings, Warriors, Lakers, and Clippers.

Jaden Ivey Will Not Travel with the Bulls

Jaden Ivey of the Chicago Bulls — Feb 7, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) defends Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey (31) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bulls' latest news means that Jaden Ivey will now miss over three weeks and at least 11 games. The organization initially shut him down on February 21, sharing that he would be re-evaluated in two weeks due to his knee soreness. While this always signaled that Ivey could miss even more time, extending things even further is a fairly discouraging sign.

To be sure, Donovan did at least signal that there has been progress made as Ivey attempts to strengthen his leg (h/t Gavin Dorsey of Roundtable). The team was also put in a tough situation with this extended road trip. The best place to get Ivey the treatment he needs is at the Advocate Center, where he can use the team's equipment and receive more personalized care.

Still, this continues to be a tough pill to swallow for an organization that likely hoped Ivey would be one of its signature deadline acquisitions. The former lottery pick put together a very promising two and a half seasons with the Pistons before suffering a broken fibula during the 2024-25 campaign. In his 30 contests before the injury last season, he was averaging a career-high 17.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 40.1 percent shooting from downtown.

Then, as he looked to return to the floor to help the future No. 1-seeded Pistons this summer, he was forced to undergo a minor knee surgery. This held him out until late November, and he has struggled to look like the same explosive and well-rounded athlete since.

Nevertheless, the hope has been and continues to be that he can return to form. And the Bulls are obviously doing whatever they can to help ensure that happens. The problem for this franchise, however, is that Ivey hits restricted free agency in a matter of months. They will have to decide very soon whether or not adding him to this future core is worth it. With that in mind, the longer Ivey is off the court, the harder that decision becomes.

Donovan continued to say on Tuesday that he does expect Ivey to play again this season. However, by the time the Bulls return from this road trip, they will have only 15 games left on the calendar. Would that be enough of a sample size for the front office? Heck, would Donovan even play Ivey consistently enough? The head coach has repeatedly leaned on veteran talent, and the roster as a whole is bound to be healthier by then.

At the end of the day, this has turned into quite the tough situation for both Ivey and Chicago. Both will surely have their fingers crossed that he can make some legitimate progress over the next couple of weeks and finally get back on the floor.

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