Bulls' Jaden Ivey Benched vs. Raptors in "Strictly Basketball Decision"

The Bulls had a fire sale at the trade deadline, with key players like Coby White, Nikola Vucevic and Ayo Dosunmu heading out the door in favor of younger talent and draft capital. Former first-round pick Jaden Ivey was perhaps the crown jewel of Chicago's acquisitions after coming from Detroit in a deal for Kevin Huerter.

Chicago lost to the Raptors on Thursday in its first game following the All-Star break, but the story was not the margin on the scoreboard. Instead, it was the fact that Ivey did not log a single minute.

Assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr., who served as Chicago's acting head coach following the death of Billy Donovan's father, claimed Ivey's DNP was strictly a basketball decision.

"It's really tough to play six guards," Unseld said after the game. "We played five guys, and I wanted to push to see if I could get Josh [Giddey] and Tre [Jones] their minutes up. We had to be mindful, of course, of the stretches. We got them to a place where I think we were comfortable, given where they've been. In doing that, somebody got squeezed."

Thursday's game marked the return of Giddey and Jones, whose hamstring strains had caused each to miss time prior to the break. Unseld was tasked with integrating those two with the Bulls' new additions of Collin Sexton, Rob Dillingham and Anfernee Simons, which ultimately led to Ivey being passed by.

The benching was a one-time decision, according to Unseld, and doesn't reflect Ivey's long-term future in the Bulls organization. Chicago's coaching staff and players discussed the team's surplus of guards prior to their morning shootaround, and the outcome was Ivey's first career absence because of a coach's decision.

"It was just a byproduct of where we are in our composition," Unseld said. "I'm not gonna sit here and say it's a night-to-night thing. Those basketball decisions will be made by Coach when he gets back, but tonight, I just felt that these guys gave us the best chance. We had some pretty good stretches, pretty good combinations. He was just the odd man out tonight."

Ivey said he spoke with Unseld earlier about his plan to manage Chicago's rotation, but that he did not receive any indication that he would be benched for the entire game.

The 24-year-old guard added that he didn't plan to let the surprising decision affect him, and that he was ready to do whatever the Bulls need of him moving forward.

"I think today was my first DNP in my career," Ivey said in the locker room following the game. "I don't think it changes my character. Win, lose or draw, I'm here to do my job."

Ivey was not listed on the Bulls' injury report leading up to the game, although he did mention he was dealing with knee soreness. He participated fully in all of the team's previous practices.

Chicago acquired Ivey on Feb. 3 in a three-team deal that sent Huerter and Dario Saric to the Pistons. The former No. 5 overall pick out of Purdue averaged a career-high 17.6 points per game last season before breaking his left fibula, and he hasn't been the same player since returning to the court.

In 33 appearances with Detroit this season, Ivey's playing time was nearly cut in half, as he averaged just 8.2 points per game. His recovery evidently did not align with the No. 1-seeded Pistons' championship timeline, and he was shipped to the Windy City at the deadline.

Ivey's play is paramount to the Bulls' long-term future, which makes Unseld's decision to sit him even more puzzling. The shooting guard's potential is sky-high, and outside of Giddey, Matas Buzelis and injured rookie Noa Essengue, the Bulls don't really have many young pieces that could be building blocks in Chicago's impending rebuild. Additionally, Ivey is a restricted free agent in the summer, and the Bulls need to figure out whether the explosive athlete that Ivey once was can still be unlocked.

Benching Ivey, who has scored in double figures in each of his four games in Chicago and already shown flashes, does not seem beneficial for the Bulls — now, or in the future.