Chicago Bulls Waive Guard Jaden Ivey Over Anti-Gay Remarks

On Monday, the Chicago Bulls waived 24-year-old guard Jaden Ivey, citing conduct detrimental to the team. The move followed hour-long Instagram livestreams in which Ivey expressed anti-gay sentiments and criticized the NBA’s Pride Month promotion. It came the same week he was placed on a season-long shutdown.

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Ivey, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, played 30 games for Detroit in 2024-25 before being traded to Chicago before deadline. Knee problems limited him to four Bulls appearances, last on Feb 11. The team announced a season-long shutdown for a sore left knee the week before his release. He had used Instagram to discuss religion, depression and other topics, drawing attention from teammates and staff. Ivey is the son of Notre Dame women’s basketball coach Niele Ivey.

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• 2022: Drafted No. 5 overall; 2024-25 knee injury limited him to 30 Pistons games before being traded to Chicago before deadline, where he appeared in four games, last on Feb 11.

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• Feb 19: Healthy scratch vs. Raptors; the week before his release the team announced a season-long injury shutdown.

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• Early May: Posted multiple hour-long Instagram livestreams with anti-gay commentary.

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• Monday: Waived by Bulls for conduct detrimental to the team.

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The Bulls said Ivey’s conduct was “detrimental to the team,” citing expectations of professionalism and mutual respect. Coach Billy Donovan said all personnel must uphold a high level of respect and be accountable to team standards. organization did not detail which actions beyond the public remarks prompted the move.

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Locker-room sources called Ivey “preachy,” saying his frequent, lengthy social-media rants created tension. The anti-gay remarks, which labeled Pride Month “unrighteous,” were cited as a primary factor in team’s conduct assessment. Officials said the problem lay not only in his views but in how they were publicly communicated.

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• “They proclaim Pride Month and the NBA does, too. 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.” — Jaden Ivey, Instagram livestream

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• “Why didn't they just say, 'We don't agree with his stance on LGBTQ'? Why didn't they say that? ... How is it conduct detrimental to the team? What did I do to the team? What did I do to the players?” — Jaden Ivey, Instagram livestream

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• “I'm not the J.I. I used to be. The old J.I. is dead,” — Jaden Ivey, interview

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• “Everybody comes with their own personal experiences, right? But we have to all be professional, there has to be a high level of respect for one another, and we've got to help each other and be accountable to those standards.” — Billy Donovan, press conference

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Ivey will be a free agent heading into the offseason. The NBA promotes Pride Month, a practice referenced in Ivey’s comments. The Bulls will need to address cultural expectations as they reshape the roster for the season.

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