After Jaden Ivey picked up his first DNP with the Chicago Bulls, he said he isn't the player he used to be. Not only is that disheartening to hear from a 24-year-old who had a bright future a few years ago as the No. 5 pick in the 2022 draft, but it also gives the Bulls a clearer look into the player they acquired at the deadline.
Chicago traded for Ivey as part of a multi-team deal in a low-risk move, as Detroit was ready to move on from the guard after not coming to terms on an extension before the season started. Bulls fans were excited to see what Ivey would bring to the table, but it didn't take them long to realize his time with the team could truly be short-lived.
He hasn't looked the same since he broke his fibula at the start of the 2025 calendar year, and that's, unfortunately, understandable. It doesn't help that he underwent knee surgery last October, not long before the regular season began.
Jaden Ivey's time with the Bulls may already be over (even if he does play again)
Ivey hasn't been able to regain the speed and explosiveness he had in his first couple of years in the league, and it sounds like he may not be able to return to that level. By no means can anyone say definitively that he won't be that player again, but it's not exactly encouraging that this is where he's at, only a couple of weeks after the trade.
He said he was told one of the reasons he didn't play last Thursday was the knee soreness we now know will keep him sidelined for a couple of weeks, but Donovan said it was just a basketball decision. As you can see, this has already turned into somewhat of a mess.
He's certainly not in the best situation, either, as Chicago has a surplus of guards. You'd think that Billy Donovan would prioritize giving Ivey playing time, seeing that the Bulls surely don't have much left to play for this season, but he has made it clear on several occasions that he's not that kind of coach. He most recently said that experience doesn't always equate to growth (subscription required), which has fans wondering why the team traded for Ivey in the first place.
It's not looking like Chicago will keep Ivey around. Perhaps the front office will look a little competent for cutting ties with him, depending on whether he can be the player he was before he broke his leg, wherever he ends up next (assuming that's what happens). Hopefully, for Ivey's sake, this isn't the beginning of the end.