Bulls Injury Update: Jaden Ivey (Knee) Will Not Travel on Road Trip

The Chicago Bulls are banged up, but reinforcements could be coming during next week's road trip. Guard Jaden Ivey will not be among them.

Head coach Billy Donovan revealed on Tuesday that Ivey, who Chicago acquired at the trade deadline from the Pistons, will not be traveling with the team during its upcoming five-game road trip. The former No. 5 overall draft pick in 2022 has been out since Feb. 21 with left knee pain.

"Jaden is going to stay back and still try to work, in terms of getting his leg stronger," Donovan told the media before Tuesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. "He's made good progress, but they want to keep him back this week when we're gone."

Ivey averaged 17.6 points per game for Detroit last season prior to breaking his left fibula. The 24-year-old shooting guard has had a rocky recovery from the major injury, and the Pistons dealt him to Chicago for Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric in early February. Ivey started his first three games for the Bulls before being surprisingly benched in the team's first game after the trade deadline.

He has since missed Chicago's past five games and will be inactive for at least the next six. His soonest possible return date could be Mar. 16, when the Bulls host the Memphis Grizzlies.

"I don't know all the metrics, all the testing that they did, but there was certainly some strength deficiencies there that probably were contributing to the knee being sore," Donovan added. "When the medical guys saw some of those things after testing him, there was just a concern that, with his knee flaring up, this could potentially lead into something a lot more serious. The feeling was to shut him down, get him back feeling better, to get away from the discomfort in his knee, and then get his quads and his hamstrings stronger."

Donovan said he does not believe Ivey will be out for the remainder of the season. The important component in determining his return will be whether he still experiences discomfort while accelerating and decelerating.

Ivey was not the only Bulls rotation player to receive an injury update on Tuesday. Forwards Patrick Williams (right quad strain) and Jalen Smith (right calf strain) will travel with the team, and Donovan is hopeful that both will be able to play during Chicago's five-game road trip.

Anfernee Simons, who suffered a fracture in his left wrist against the Pistons on Feb. 21, is still dealing with discomfort in his hand. The former Portland and Boston guard will travel with the Bulls to the West Coast, but there is less optimism that Simons will play than there is for Williams and Smith.

The Bulls will face the Suns in Phoenix on Thursday, then head to California for four games in six days. Donovan's squad plays the Sacramento Kings on Mar. 8, the Golden State Warriors on Mar. 10, the Los Angeles Lakers on Mar. 12 and the Los Angeles Clippers on Mar. 13.