In a surprising turn of events, the Chicago Bulls have released guard Jaden Ivey nearly two months after acquiring him in a trade from the Detroit Pistons. While the decision followed a series of controversial public comments, it has also brought renewed attention to the importance of player mental health.
How Billy Donovan and the Bulls Are Approaching Player Mental Health Support
The Bulls waived Ivey after several of his social media rants went viral, including one in which he criticized the NBA’s “Pride Month,” a month celebrating the LGBTQ community. He also spoke extensively about changes in his religious beliefs and continued posting even after his release.
Despite the controversy, there appears to be an understanding that Ivey has been dealing with personal challenges over the past couple of seasons, with mental health potentially playing a role in his behavior.
Head coach Billy Donovan addressed the situation carefully, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to supporting its players.
“I think in this day and age, you have to be conscientious of all these guys may be going through things,” he told reporters Monday. “And I’m not passing judgment on what Jaden is or is not going through. But I do worry about that, not only for Jaden, but for all of our players. Are we providing the resources, which I think we do, to help them in any way we can? I think if any player reached out and said I need some help in this, we could help them.”
At the same time, Donovan made it clear that professionalism remains a non-negotiable standard.
“There’s a certain level of expectations and standards that are here,” Donovan added. “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.”
Ivey, however, did not take the decision well. He went live on Instagram again Monday night, questioning the organization’s reasoning.
“[The Bulls] said my conduct is detrimental to the team,” he said. “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?”
Ivey was selected fifth overall in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Pistons and showed signs of a breakout last season, averaging 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists while shooting 46% from the field and nearly 41% from three.
That was until he sadly broke his fibula on Jan. 1, 2025, prematurely ending his season and preventing his participation in the Pistons’ most promising season in years. Ivey has not been able to replicate that same production since his return.
In 33 games, he averaged 8.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 45% from the field and 37.2% from three. Ivey’s role in Detroit wasn’t quite what it was last year, pushing them to trade him to Chicago.
After being acquired on Feb. 3, Ivey last played on Feb. 11 and was later made a healthy scratch on Feb. 19. At the time, he acknowledged he was not the same player, and now, just weeks later, his stint in Chicago has come to an abrupt end.
