Chicago Bulls Waive Jaden Ivey After Latest Social Media Remarks

This post has been updated with the most recent information.

The Chicago Bulls have waived Jaden Ivey following recent comments posted to social media, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The Chicago Sun-Times was the first to note that the organization was seeking out an "exit strategy."

Acquired in early February in exchange for Kevin Huerter in a three-team deal, the guard only appeared in four games before he was sidelined due to lingering knee soreness. Ivey was attempting to strengthen his knee and return to the court before the end of the season, only to bump knees on the practice court. The Bulls proceeded to officially rule him out for the season on March 26, stating that he would continue his rehab.

In recent days, fans have expressed concern for Ivey after multiple long videos were posted on social media, where Ivey lectured about his religious beliefs. He also went viral for condemning a couple of individuals in the comment section. Ivey notably leaned on his religion following his DNP-CD on February 19, as well.

Nevertheless, it wasn't until Monday that Ivey's actions were thrown under the national spotlight. Ivey made remarks about the LGBTQ community in his most recent video, criticizing the NBA for holding "Pride Night." The comments were evidently the straw on the camel's back, promptly encouraging the Bulls to move on from the former No. 5 overall pick.

The Chicago Bulls made the news official at 5:00 p.m. CT on Monday, releasing the following one-sentence statement: "The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has waived Jaden Ivey due to conduct detrimental to the team."

Chicago Bulls End Short Jaden Ivey Era

Chicago Bulls Jaden Ivey — Feb 5, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey (31) passes against the Toronto Raptors in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bulls seemingly didn't do their homework on Jaden Ivey. And they basically admitted as much when the guard complained of knee soreness only five games into his Bulls tenure. After recording what he considered to be his first DNP-CD of his career, Ivey revealed that strengthening his knee had been a work in progress.

Billy Donovan also admitted that he believed Ivey wasn't moving the same as he once did. The head coach even noticed it in Detroit, yet the Bulls still added the guard and played him immediately upon his arrival. Then, they remained adamant that Ivey would take the floor again this season as he rehabbed. The team ramped him up to the point of rejoining practice, until he bumped knees and was promptly ruled out for the year with the same prognosis.

As if his health didn't raise enough questions, Ivey was also rather outspoken following his DNP-CD in February. He insisted that the old Ivey was "dead," and continued to lean on his religion when asked about the situation. The 24-year-old has now turned to social media to share more of his religious beliefs on Instagram, sparking the controversy that has put his NBA career in flux.

While the Bulls were clearly quick to separate themselves from Ivey, there is no question that this acts as another demerit for Arturas Karnisovas and his brain trust. Ivey arrived as a restricted free agent and was initially believed to be a future piece of the backcourt. The fact that he couldn't even make it to the offseason with the franchise underscores their repeatedly poor evaluation skills.

Does this mean the Bulls should have seen this specific situation coming from Ivey? No, but there is no ignoring just how messy things have been since his arrival. And this sure feels notable after rumors emerged last week that the Bulls could look to make changes at "highest level" this summer.

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