The Chicago Bulls have waived former top-five NBA draft pick Jaden Ivey for “conduct detrimental to the team.” Ivey posted a nearly hour-long rant on Instagram on Monday, sharing anti-LGBTQ sentiments, among other remarks.
Ivey has posted several lengthy rants on social media over the last few days, talking primarily about his religion. In his most recent post shared to Instagram on Monday morning, Ivey discussed how the NBA celebrating Pride Month is “unrighteous,” while also sharing inflammatory comments about abortion.
In the same video, Ivey shared how listening to certain music is “wicked” for lyrics about drugs and sex. He specifically cited rapper 50 Cent as an example.
Ivey was traded to the Chicago Bulls from the Detroit Pistons at the February deadline, but played just four games before being shut down for the remainder of the season on March 26 to continue rehabbing from left knee pain.
Ahead of the Bulls’ game against the Spurs Monday night, Chicago coach Billy Donovan discussed the situation.
“I don’t want to get into what he put out there [on Instagram], but certainly for him I hope he’s OK,” Donovan said. “I’ve had conversations with Jaden, and he’s always been about rehabbing his knee and getting back on the court and wanting to play. But I think organizationally there’s certain standards we want to have as an organization and try and live up to those each and every day.”
Prior to being traded to the Bulls, Ivey spent his first three-and-a-half NBA seasons with the Pistons. His first two seasons in the league were positive, as he averaged 15.8 points while starting alongside Cade Cunningham in the backcourt. He played in over 70 games in his first two seasons, but injuries quickly derailed his development.
Ivey suffered a broken left fibula in January 2025, limiting him to just 30 games last season. He returned in November, but struggled to regain his form prior to the injury. He slowly began to fell out of Detroit’s rotation before being traded to the Bulls.
After joining the Bulls, Ivey told media after a game in February about how the “Old Jaden Ivey” is dead, now that “Christ was in his life.”