Jaden Ivey waived by Bulls for ‘conduct detrimental to the team.’ Here’s how we got here

The Chicago Bulls announced Monday that they have waived guard Jaden Ivey for “conduct detrimental to the team,” soon after the former first-round draft pick made anti-gay comments on Instagram Live.

The move came less than two months after Chicago acquired Ivey from the Detroit Pistons. In recent days, the fourth-year player has posted several videos on Instagram in which he speaks at length about his religious beliefs.

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Ivey recorded another such video Monday soon after learning of his release by Chicago. In it, he held firm to his convictions and predicted he would have trouble landing another NBA job because of them.

Background

The Pistons selected Ivey at No. 5 overall in the 2022 draft. He was a starter for much of his first two-plus seasons before being hampered by multiple injuries. In 218 games for Detroit, Ivey averaged 14.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and four assists in 27.9 minutes a game.

Chicago acquired Ivey and his expiring contract in a three-team trade on Feb. 3. He played in four games for the Bulls leading into the All-Star break, but was a healthy scratch for their Feb. 19 game against the Toronto Raptors.

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After the game, Ivey told reporters that “the old Jalen is dead.”

Read more: Lamar Odom’s past is a ‘cesspool of trauma,’ he says: ‘I don’t know what made me relevant now’

“I’m alive in Christ” he said. “No matter what the basketball setting is, I’m born again with the Holy Spirit, been saved by Jesus Christ. No matter how many DNPs I don’t get to play, no matter how many points I score, those things are temporary things. …

“Jesus is not going to say on Judgment Day, ‘How many points did you score today?’ … Jesus is not going to say, “Feb. 19, why didn’t you play, Jaden?’ He’s gonna say, ‘What did you do for my kingdom? Do you believe in my name? Did you love me? Did you keep my commandments? Did you repent of your sin? Are you free from sin?’ And there’s only freedom in Jesus Christ.”

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Ivey has not played since. The Bulls announced on Feb. 21 that he would be sidelined for at least two weeks because of soreness in his left knee. On…

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Publish date : 2026-03-31 21:06:00

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