Chicago traded for Ivey in February, but is releasing the former Detroit Pistons guard after just four games.
The Chicago Bulls are moving on from one of their significant acquisitions at the midseason trade deadline.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Monday afternoon that the Bulls had officially waived shooting guard Jaden Ivey. The 24-year-old had garnered headlines over the weekend for a series of comments he made on his social media account.
One such comment, in which he addressed the NBA's Pride Nights that celebrate the LGBTQ community, was the "final straw" for the Bulls, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Joe Cowley.
"The world can proclaim LGBTQ, right?" Ivey said during an Instagram live stream on Monday. "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."
In a statement, the Bulls announced that Ivey had been waived due to "conduct detrimental to the team." He was set to be a restricted free agent in the summer.
Chicago traded for the former top-five draft pick ahead of February's trade deadline in a deal with the Detroit Pistons, in which the Bulls gave up Dario Saric and Kevin Huerter. Ivey played four games and made three starts in Chicago, averaging 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals in 28.8 minutes per game.
Feb 9, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Saraf (77) goes to the basket against Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey (31) during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn ImagesIn the team's first game following the All-Star Break, Ivey was surprisingly benched by acting head coach Wes Unseld Jr., who was filling in for Billy Donovan after the death of his father. Ivey told the media in a post-game locker room interview that the "Old Jaden Ivey" was dead, referencing the player that he was before suffering a devastating fibula injury in Detroit last season. He also frequently made remarks about his religious faith, which appeared to be in the background of many of his recent social media comments.
Ivey has been inactive while rehabbing his left knee ever since and missed the Bulls' last 19 games with "left patellofemoral pain syndrome." Chicago officially announced on Thursday, Mar. 26, that Ivey would not play for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.
The former Piston first recorded a live video on Instagram on Thursday, then went live for more than 75 minutes on Saturday while in a car. When fans and other social media accounts expressed concern for Ivey's well-being, the fourth-year guard responded with a slew of comments regarding his religious views.
One of Ivey's comments, in response to a question asking if he attended confession services, read, "Catholicism is a false religion. And is not the true Doctrine of Christ. [It] does not lead to salvation in Jesus Christ." Ivey's mother, Niele, is the head women's basketball coach at Notre Dame, a Catholic university.
Ivey returned to Instagram for another live video on Monday morning, which spanned 42 minutes and 34 seconds. It was in this video that he spoke about the NBA and its stance on LGBTQ communities, and Ivey was released shortly after.
The Chicago Bulls have eight games remaining in their regular season and are set to face the Spurs in San Antonio on Monday night.