Guard Jaden Ivey, a trade deadline acquisition, received a DNP-CD on Thursday amid a crowded Bulls backcourt. The former fifth overall pick, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, gave some eyebrow-raising quotes after the game about his lack of explosiveness this season, which he said was a result of ongoing knee soreness.
Billy Donovan didn’t coach Thursday’s loss to Toronto due to the death of his father, but he was back at practice on Friday and discussed the Ivey situation, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter video link). While Ivey did not participate in Friday’s practice because his knee was being evaluated, Donovan said he supported Wes Unseld Jr.‘s decision not to play the 24-year-old.
“To me, I don’t think he’s played at the level that he’s capable of playing at or has played at,” Donovan said of Ivey. “ … I don’t how much (knee soreness) is affecting him. He was definitely available to play.”
Ivey has been listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against Detroit — his former team — due to patellofemoral pain syndrome in his left knee, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network. That injury, which is also known as runner’s knee, is the same issue which continues to sideline Stephen Curry.
We have more from Chicago:
- Point guards Josh Giddey and Tre Jones returned to action on Thursday after they missed time due to left hamstring strains. Both players came away from the game unscathed and think they’ll be available to play both ends of this weekend’s back-to-back, per Johnson (Twitter links).
- After a major roster overhaul at the deadline, second-year forward Matas Buzelis is one of the most tenured players on the team. In a Q&A with Cyro Asseo of HoopsHype, Buzelis said he’s working to become a leader in Chicago. “I talked to Billy about it, how I need to be more vocal as a player and I need to speak to guys,” Buzelis said. “You know, guys don’t know sets, guys don’t know the defense and I have to be more vocal every time I step on the court to try to help my team win. And you know, I feel like I have, I wouldn’t say pressure, but I can’t find the word right now, I have to talk to everybody more. I have to be communicating on defense for us and also put on an example in the gym of, you know, how I work. And that’s all it takes for some guys, just to see how guys work and they can put it into their game.”
- Lorenzi of The Athletic lists three burning questions the Bulls will face after making seven deals prior to the deadline, including how the team will juggle the backcourt rotation when all six guards on standard contracts are healthy. Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron, meanwhile, tries to make sense of the team’s deadline moves, some of which he views positively (adding two second-round picks for taking on Dario Saric‘s contract), and some he does not (waiting too long to trade Coby White).
“Steph is too old, he is getting injured, seee!!!”
/literally gets an injury a 24 year old gets
(That should say to you that Steph’s body is closer to 24 than 38)
What kinda hoops you jumping through dude! Just because two people have the same injury doesn’t mean anything and it especially doesn’t mean that a 38 year old corpse is going to respond to an injury the same way a 24 year old will.
As an older guy you should KNOW that to be true.
Bro people on here were literally saying Curry’s career is over from this minor injury LOL
Doesn’t matter. Saying his career is over is equally as idiotic as saying a 38 year old would heal the same as a 24 year old.
However, getting older will make it more difficult to play a ‘whole’ season or contend in the playoffs when the competition and effort go up. This is known.
Steph isn’t going to do anything with a balky knee, a20 minute per night 60% version of the unicorn, no Jimmy butler, and a mob controlled coach that refuses to run anything but small ball.
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/patellofemoral-pain-syndrome/
Probably happens to athletes more.
I’ve had it before. Lots of overuse happening in the us army in the early 2000s lol
Or it says that Ivey has the lower body of a 38 year old.
Also chalk up yet another article where old Davey has to make it about the Warriors and him.
Why did Detroit trade him? Pointless moves when you needed a real C
Pistons are loaded with bigs. They have underrated Paul Reed who hardly ever plays, and a 6’11 PF named Tylo Smith who only played because of the Duren/Stewart suspensions.
Yes Tolu Smith is 6″11 but is a PF. Reed is 6’9 and should be starting PF somewhere
Duren is 6’10 and Stewart who is 6’9 are small
Duren, Reed and Stewart are perfect PF size
List of Ivey’s Surgeries:
Left Fibula Fracture (Jan. 2025): Required surgery after a collision during a game against the Orlando Magic, causing him to miss 49 games.
Right Knee Arthroscopic Surgery (Oct. 2025): An arthroscopic procedure to address ongoing discomfort during training camp, which was deemed unrelated to the previous leg break.
———————-
He’s had two surgeries in his career. And neither is considered a serious surgery, no ligament damage. His problem is in his head. All about rehabilitation and getting back to game shape. Probably a good thing to shut him down for year. And make sure he is ready for next year. Ivey is young. So he should be able to comeback from this.
I mean, it’s one thing to want off a team coached by Billy Donovan and being all like “no big deal, I’m not staying here”, but saying all this self-defeating stuff while about to be a free agent, literally tanking his own value, his own paycheck, is a massively weird thing to do.
He could have said nothing. He is repeating phrases 35 year olds say while being 24. Like, brother, it will heal, you will be a better athlete pretty much every year of your 20’s as a pro athlete. Relax. Way to cost yourself millions or even an NBA roster spot by writing yourself off as a 24 year old! Such an odd thing. Does bro need some attention or something?
Bulls are a trainwreck, he should be like “it’s ok, its whatever” and show what a good teammate he is by being cool with a random DNP, thus having other teams be like “Billy Donovan is stupid, lets find treasure out of his trash” and give him a deal. But saying “I’m cooked, I’ll never be the same guy again” is wild.
He’s young lol. I rather he be honest. His mom is a coach and raised him right. He just needs time. He grew up a big MJ fan. He has a contract next year. Next year is when he has to prove himself. Bulls are a mess lol. Never been a Donovan fan. They have a great pick coming. Game changer loo.
I have no clue what Bulls are doing. And Ivey news is bad news. They have six players coming off the books. And Ivey with a PO next yr. There isn’t a big FA class next yr. So I don’t see how you improve this team. Looking more and more like a full rebuild. A top 10 pick would help.
You just answered your own question. They are rebuilding without acknowledging it publicly lol. This year free agency is average and mid. 2027 is more geared up for them. This will take Atleast 2-3 years if the ping pong balls fall the right way and they don’t sign anyone average this year.