With Josh Giddey and Tre Jones back in action on Thursday following injury absences, Jaden Ivey was the odd man out in a crowded Bulls backcourt. Ivey, who started three of four games and averaged 28.8 minutes per night for Chicago prior to the All-Star break, didn’t play at all in a home loss to Toronto and said after the game that he thought it was the first DNP-CD of his career, per Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic.
Bulls assistant Wes Unseld Jr., acting as head coach with Billy Donovan away from the team following the death of his father, explained that it was “strictly a basketball decision” necessitated by having a fully healthy backcourt, as well as a desire to have Giddey and Jones play regular roles in their first game back.
“I talked to several guys (Thursday) morning, and then I addressed the team about it, and it’s just a byproduct of where we are in our composition,” Unseld told reporters.
Giddey and Jones, who were on minutes restrictions, played 21 and 22 minutes respectively, while recent trade acquisition Anfernee Simons logged 31. Collin Sexton and Rob Dillingham, the team’s other newly added guards, played 15 and 10 minutes off the bench.
As Lorenzi writes, the usage of the guards seemed to be at odds with the Bulls’ actions earlier this month at a busy trade deadline. With its seven deadline deals, Chicago appeared prepared to pivot toward its younger players, but Simons and Sexton – veterans on expiring contracts – are ahead of Ivey, a restricted-free-agent-to-be, and second-year guard Dillingham on the depth chart for now.
Asked after the game about his DNP-CD, Ivey offered little clarity, according to Lorenzi, who says the former Piston repeatedly referenced his faith and declared that he doesn’t “really trust the NBA setting.”
“When moves are made behind the scenes, trades and stuff,” Ivey replied when asked what he meant. “I don’t trust that part of (it). I mean, you can’t trust it, because it’s not in your hands. So it’s not in my hands to make moves, or trade myself.”
Ivey later said he was told the decision to sit him on Thursday was the result of “a series of things,” including ongoing knee soreness that he referred to as something he’s been dealing with “for years.” The fourth-year guard underwent surgery on his right knee in October that delayed his season debut, but he hasn’t been listed on the injury report recently and said that soreness isn’t something that will “keep me from doing my job.”
Still, there have been some questions this season about whether Ivey is at 100% after returning from a broken left leg that ended his 2024/25 season, as well as that right knee surgery. He played a reduced role in Detroit (16.8 MPG) prior to the trade and didn’t look like his old explosive self. Asked if there are still health-related steps to take before he regains his former athleticism, Ivey offered an eyebrow-raising response, Lorenzi notes.
“I’m sure people can call it out — I’m not the same player I used to be,” he said. “(The knee soreness is) why. I’m not the J.I. I used to be. The old J.I. is dead. I’m alive in Christ no matter what the basketball setting is.”
As Lorenzi observes, it’s possible the Bulls will adjust their rotation going forward and Ivey’s DNP-CD ends up being a one-off that’s quickly forgotten. But based on Thursday’s usage, it doesn’t appear at this point that developing Ivey and Dillingham is a top priority for the team.
Yikes, Ivey is washed already. Shame to get D Rosed so early in his career. He’s talking like it’s a done deal and he’ll be out of the league this off-season.
Bulls used to be good.
Feel bad for him, sometimes we forget these guys are human.
I hope his tone wasn’t as sad as the quote reads. He needs to reinvent his game to stay in the league if he thinks his old style is dead due to injuries.
Iveay and Giddey should be the starting backcourt. Bulls should be monitoring that till end of year.
Ivey needs a full off-season of regular rest, rehab and workouts to get back close to where he was. He went 10.5 months barely walking between the surgeries he had on both legs, had a 4 week ramp up period (without a training camp), then instantly started playing basketball 3-4 nights per week against the best players in the world. It’s silly to think he’d be the same player right away after going through all that.
Don’t give up on him yet.
The Bulls are not a good franchise. Give the young guys in Ivey and Dillingham a chance. Chicago is tanking anyway.
Exactly. Bulls are going nowhere. Exactly why are you giving Colin Sexton minutes over seeing what Ivey is capable of with your team
Im not the least bit surprised this franchise and AKME do not seem to have a clue. They lucked into Buzelis, and made a good trade for Giddey. Outside of that it has been one bad decision after another.
Getting rid of Ayo for Dillingham was beyond ridiculously dumb, and is pretty unforgivable…Minnesota is going to love Ayo, and I hope he enjoys his time in Minnesota, because they seem to actually appreciate him and his talent.
Cole Anthony should be banned.
Why
He basically has ruined Ivey’s career
It’s happened alot through out NBA history
If you were Ivey would you hate Anthony?
I would be upset
I think Ivey still is fine. Just turn him into a PG. He is PG size
Idk man it was a pretty bad play any way you slice it. Having to change your whole game because a dude broke your leg is pretty hard pill to swallow. And then going to the Bulls from Detroit is also worrisome given their track record. I hope he figures it out but man it’s gotta suck.