rewrite this title Why Did Bulls Waive Jaden Ivey? Injured Star Faces Major Setback After Controversial Video

The Chicago Bulls announced Monday that they have waived guard Jaden Ivey. According to NBA insider Shams Charania, Ivey’s release was due to his recent anti-LGBTQ comments.

In their statement Monday, the Bulls did not provide specific details about the roster move but said Ivey was released for “conduct detrimental to the team.”

In recent weeks, Ivey posted a series of videos on social media with comments about religion and several other topics. On Monday on Instagram, Ivey ranted about the NBA celebrating Pride Month.

“The world can proclaim LGBTQ, right?” Ivey said. “They proclaim Pride Month in 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 on the billboards, they proclaim it on the streets, unrighteousness.”

Before the formal announcement, The Chicago Sun-Times reported early in the day that the Bulls were exploring ways to part with Ivey. League insider Joe Cowley said a source indicated that Ivey’s release was an “accumulation of his posts and comments” since last month.

Chicago acquired Jaden Ivey at the trade deadline in a three-team deal with the Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played in four games with the Bulls, averaging 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists on 41.7% shooting. On Thursday, he was ruled out for the remainder of the 2025-26 season due to a left knee injury.

Bulls HC Billy Donovan comments on Jaden Ivey’s exit

Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan discussed Jaden Ivey’s exit, saying the team adheres to certain standards. Donovan had a media availability ahead of their game against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.

“We got people from all different backgrounds inside the organization, so I think the first thing is, this goes for players and coaches, everybody in the building, it’s always been from the top that we’re gonna work well together,” Donovan said. “We’re all basically gonna take care of each other.

“We’re gonna accept each other. We’re gonna be hardworking. We’re gonna be accountable and we’re gonna be respectful and we’re gonna be professional. … I think, organizationally, there’s certain standards I think we want to have as an organization and live up to those each and every day.”

Donovan added he hopes his former player will be fine, saying Jaden Ivey has talked about going into rehab before. On social media, there are also comments about the guard’s possible mental health problems.

The Bulls are 29-45 and have already been eliminated from playoff contention. They are tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for the No. 11 spot in the Eastern Conference.

Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos