The Bulls took a gamble acquiring Jaden Ivey from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Kevin Huerter. That gamble hasn’t paid off — Ivey’s only played four games with Chicago and will now miss the rest of the season. But Huerter’s horrendous play in Detroit still makes the deal a win for the Bulls.
Ivey, a 24-year-old former top-five draft pick, suffered a significant leg injury in January 2025 in the midst of a breakout season. He missed the next 10 months and never regained his footing with the Pistons. As a restricted free agent this offseason, the writing was on the wall for him in Detroit.Â
So, the Bulls took a flyer, hoping he could return to his pre-injury form. Unfortunately, he missed a significant amount of time due to knee soreness and has been shut down for the remainder of the year, per the team's X account.
But Detroit’s experience with Huerter has been more painful.
Bulls won Jaden Ivey-Kevin Huerter trade despite Ivey injury news
Ivey averaged 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 28.8 minutes per contest across his four games with the Bulls. The explosiveness that made him such a tantalizing prospect hasn't returned.
Concerningly, he admitted to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (subscription required), "I'm not the same player I used to be. (The knee soreness is) why. I’m not the J.I. I used to be. The old J.I. is dead."
But Ivey is still only 24 and a restricted free agent this summer. The Bulls could extend him an $8.8 million qualifying offer to observe him for one more season or work out a long-term deal. (Ivey should hope the front office hasn't learned from its Patrick Williams mistake.)
The Pistons don’t have that same luxury with Huerter, who can leave for nothing this summer. Realistically, though, Detroit shouldn't want him back.
The Pistons needed to add shooting at the deadline. As a veteran once known as a 3-point sniper, Huerter fit the bill. But he hasn't made a dent in Detroit’s rotation, and even when he has played, he's been borderline useless.
The 27-year-old has played 16 games with the Pistons, has seven DNPs and is averaging 6.4 points. He's 10-for-52 from three (19.2 percent). His effective field-goal percentage of 46.5 ranks 412th in the NBA among any player who's averaged at least 17 minutes since the trade deadline.
Chicago needs to keep taking chances like the Ivey trade
Even if the Bulls don't extend Ivey a qualifying offer (which, frankly, would be a surprise), acquiring a young distressed asset with upside still to tap into is the type of move the franchise should be making.
Chicago also brought in Rob Dillingham, a 21-year-old point guard who was the No. 8 pick just two summers ago. Dillingham's former teammate in Minnesota, Leonard Miller, is a 22-year-old forward with elite size/length/athleticism traits who couldn't crack the Timberwolves' rotation but has already found success in the Windy City.
Josh Giddey is a sneaky member of this club, too. It's easy to forget he was on his way out of Oklahoma City before he was swapped for Alex Caruso.
These are the decisions smart rebuilding franchises make. Even if Ivey is a bust, it shouldn't deter the Bulls from gambling more often.