![\"Jaden](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2260455945-e1774906639143.jpg\")
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Jaden Ivey #23 of the Chicago Bulls drives to the basket against Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter at the United Center on February 07, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. <\/p>\n
The Chicago Bulls<\/a> made their call on Jaden Ivey<\/a>. The reaction didn\u2019t stay in basketball.<\/p>\n Hours after the Bulls waived the 24-year-old guard Monday, citing<\/a> \u201cconduct detrimental to the team,\u201d the fallout spilled beyond the NBA<\/a> \u2014 drawing responses from a political figure and an NFL<\/a> player as the situation continued to gain traction online.<\/p>\n The team offered no specifics in its announcement. Others filled the void quickly.<\/p>\n Reaction Reaches Beyond NBA<\/p>\n Among those weighing in was Matt Rinaldi, who came out in support of Ivey and took aim at the reasoning behind the move.<\/p>\n \u201cThe \u2018conduct detrimental to the team\u2019 was he is an outspoken Christian who criticized the NBA celebrating Pride Month,\u201d Rinaldi wrote<\/a> on X. He added that Ivey \u201cshould sue\u201d the organization.<\/p>\n Rinaldi, an attorney who previously served in the Texas House of Representatives, tied the situation to a broader debate over personal beliefs in sports \u2014 a framing that has surfaced repeatedly as the story has unfolded.<\/p>\n The reaction didn\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n Azareyeh Thomas of the New York Jets<\/a> also weighed in, posting a message centered on faith and conviction.<\/p>\n \u201cThe world will try to make sin look normal and righteousness look strange,\u201d Thomas wrote<\/a>. \u201cWhen it\u2019s all said and done, we\u2019ll give an account to an audience of One.\u201d<\/p>\n The post, which included multiple Bible references, circulated widely as the discussion around Ivey picked up steam.<\/p>\n Neither Rinaldi nor Thomas has ties to the Bulls, but their involvement underscored how quickly the story moved beyond a routine roster transaction.<\/p>\n Bulls Point to Standards, Not Details<\/p>\n Inside the organization, coach Billy Donovan offered a more measured explanation.<\/p>\n \u201cOrganizationally, there\u2019s certain standards I think we want to have as an organization and live up to those each and every day,\u201d Donovan said, via The Athletic<\/a>.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t a detailed answer, but it was the clearest window into the team\u2019s thinking after the initial statement left questions unanswered.<\/p>\n The phrase \u201cconduct detrimental to the team\u201d is often used as a catch-all in these situations. Rarely does it come with immediate clarification. In this case, it hasn\u2019t \u2014 at least not publicly.<\/p>\n A Situation That Built Over Time<\/p>\n The move didn\u2019t come out of nowhere.<\/p>\n Reporting earlier in the day indicated the Bulls had already been working toward an exit involving Ivey. By the time the waiver became official, the situation had already been trending in that direction.<\/p>\n What pushed it there \u2014 or when \u2014 remains unclear.<\/p>\n What is clear is that Ivey\u2019s recent social media activity became part of the conversation.<\/p>\n In a series of posts and livestreams, he spoke at length about faith, personal beliefs and life beyond basketball. Some messages drew support. Others drew criticism. The volume of attention only grew as clips spread across platforms.<\/p>\n The Bulls have not directly tied those posts to the decision. The timing, though, has left little doubt about how closely the two are being linked.<\/p>\n Short Stay, Unfinished Fit<\/p>\n Ivey never found his footing in Chicago.<\/p>\n Acquired at the trade deadline as part of a multi-team deal involving the Detroit Pistons<\/a>, he appeared in just four games for the Bulls. In limited minutes, he averaged 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists \u2014 flashes, but nothing sustained.<\/p>\n A knee issue shut him down for the rest of the season. By then, he had already slipped out of the rotation.<\/p>\n The opportunity never really materialized.<\/p>\n What Comes Next<\/p>\n Now, Ivey is back on the market \u2014 a former No. 5 overall pick with clear talent and an increasingly complicated recent track record.<\/p>\n Some team will have to decide what matters more: the upside or everything that has come with it lately.<\/p>\n For the Bulls, the decision is already made.<\/p>\n For Ivey, the next one is just beginning.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a veteran NBA reporter for Heavy.com, covering the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. He brings over 20 years of experience across local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Originally from the Philippines, he is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Bulls\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Jaden Ivey #23 of the Chicago Bulls drives to the basket against Nikola Jokic #15 of the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":689080,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3771],"tags":[7,920,919,329,3824,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-689079","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago-bulls","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-bulls","10":"tag-chicago","11":"tag-chicago-bulls","12":"tag-chicagobulls","13":"tag-nba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116321162867483050","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/689079","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=689079"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/689079\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/689080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=689079"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=689079"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=689079"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}