The Chicago Bulls are arriving at a franchise crossroads this offseason, and the release of Jaden Ivey creates even more questions. It also gives the team's front office — purely from a basketball standpoint — more ways to answer those questions.
The Bulls waived Ivey on March 30, citing conduct detrimental to the team. Chicago landed the 24-year-old guard from the Pistons at this year's trade deadline in a deal that sent Kevin Huerter to Detroit.
The Bulls acquired Ivey, who suffered a leg injury partway through a breakout 2024-25 campaign, in the hopes he would regain the explosiveness that made him the fifth overall pick in the 2022 draft.
Chicago's front office has several critical decisions to make this summer. Ivey's release changes the equation, but it also gives the team more flexibility as it continues a roster overhaul.
Bulls waive guard Jaden Ivey
Ivey never re-established himself in Detroit after breaking his fibula in January of 2025. He left a Pistons team struggling to form a new identity and returned to one rapidly becoming one of the best in the NBA.
In Chicago, he would be part of a franchise that had the time and patience to help him recover his elite athleticism. But that never materialized.
Ivey only played four games with the Bulls as he dealt with knee soreness. The team announced he would be shut down for the season on March 26, four days before he was waived.
Ivey's release gives Bulls additional flexibility this summer
As a restricted free agent, Chicago had the choice to extend Ivey an $8.8 million qualifying offer this summer. That would've given the front office another opportunity to assess his health and fit with the roster moving forward.
Now, that $8.8 million salary is no longer in play.
The Bulls will have more than $60 million in cap space this offseason. Five players — Zach Collins, Guerschon Yabusele, Nick Richards, Anfernee Simons and Collin Sexton — will hit the open market. The wise decision would be to move on from all five to create more financial advantages and open roster spots.
Ivey's release, again speaking purely from a basketball standpoint, creates more of that flexibility.
The Bulls will also likely end up with a top-10 pick in a loaded 2026 NBA Draft. Matas Buzelis is on a star trajectory. Noa Essengue should have a healthy offseason to improve. Leonard Miller is showing he deserves a spot in Chicago's future.
Using their cap space to attack restricted free agency and sign someone like Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler would fill a massive hole.
The Bulls have several avenues to get better. It's now up to executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas to take the right ones.