The Chicago Bulls waived guard Jaden Ivey on Monday, and a report released Tuesday shed further light on the circumstances surrounding his brief tenure with the team.
According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Ivey’s interactions with media members raised concerns within the organization. Cowley reported that Ivey, who had recently joined the Bulls at the trade deadline, frequently turned interviews into personal discussions centered on religion.
“Before Ivey even stepped foot on Chicago soil there were rumblings from Detroit that the shooting guard was a ‘preacher.’ They undersold it. His interviews became sermons in which he was asking reporters if they’ve been ‘saved’ and if they ‘fornicated before marriage.’”
The report followed Chicago’s official announcement that it had parted ways with Ivey due to internal issues.
“The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has waived guard Jaden Ivey due to conduct detrimental to the team.”
Ivey arrived in Chicago as part of a multi-player deal at the trade deadline. The Detroit Pistons sent Ivey and Mike Conley Jr. to the Bulls in exchange for Kevin Huerter, Dario Saric, and a 2026 first-round pick swap involving the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Jaden Ivey’s short Bulls stint overshadowed by off-court controversy
His stint with Chicago was brief. The 24-year-old appeared in four games, making three starts while averaging 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, four assists and two steals per game. He shot 41.7% from the field, 38.1% from beyond the arc and 88.9% from the free-throw line across 28.8 minutes per contest.
Off the court, additional scrutiny emerged following a video Ivey shared in which he criticized the NBA’s support of Pride Month and made remarks about the LGBTQ community.
“The world can proclaim LGBTQ, right?” Ivey says. “They proclaim Pride Month and the NBA. They proclaim it. They show it to the world. They say, ‘come join us 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?”
Former teammate Josh Giddey addressed the situation following the move.
“He’s a very talented player,” Giddey said, via Cowley. “Obviously, the whole thing is kind of unfortunate in a way. I hope he gets the help he needs, whatever he’s going through or not going through. I do really hope he gets help. It’s not going to be with the Bulls anymore, but wherever it is, I hope he gets it.”
The Chicago Bulls and the NBA have not indicated any further disciplinary details beyond the team’s initial statement.
