![\"Jaden](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774957578_113_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
Retired NBA player Evan Turner has urged fans to \u201cpray\u201d for Jaden Ivey after the fourth-year guard was released by the Chicago Bulls<\/a> on Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cPray for Jaden Ivey,\u201d Turner wrote on X after news broke that the Bulls were waiving Ivey for \u201cconduct detrimental to the team\u201d<\/a> on Monday.<\/p>\n When one user clapped back, suggesting that Ivey was \u201cclose to Jesus Christ\u201d and didn\u2019t need anyone praying for him, Turner doubled down on his earlier take.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m praying for him for understanding and that god continues to protect his journey.\u201d<\/p>\n Bulls Waive Jaden Ivey<\/p>\n Shortly before the Bulls released Ivey, the former No. 5 overall pick made some inflammatory remarks about the LGBTQ community in an IG live session. Ivey also called out the NBA for celebrating Pride Month.<\/p>\n \u201cThe world proclaims LGBTQ, right? They proclaim Pride Month\u2014and the\u00a0NBA<\/a> does too. They show it to the world, and say, \u2018Come join us for Pride Month, to celebrate unrighteousness,\u2019\u201d Ivey said during a live stream on Monday, via NBA Central<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jaden Ivey calls out the NBA for celebrating Pride Month<\/p>\n \u201cThe world proclaims LGBTQ, right? They proclaim Pride Month\u2014and the NBA does too. They show it to the world. They say, \u2018Come join us for Pride Month, to celebrate unrighteousness.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n (@esidery<\/a>) <\/p>\n Earlier on Sunday, Ivey released an IG Live video in which he spoke at length about salvation, his past sins, and the insignificance of basketball.<\/p>\n \u201cY\u2019all don\u2019t take the word of God seriously,\u201d Ivey said.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026The Lord is not going to say on Judgment Day, \u2018What\u2019s the updated score? What\u2019s the score of Purdue Boilermakers? What\u2019s the score of the\u00a0Detroit Pistons<\/a>? Jesus is not going to say that on Judgment Day.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s going to say, \u2018What did you do for my Kingdom?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n There is growing concern surrounding Jaden Ivey.<\/p>\n Ivey, who admitted to dealing with depression this year, has deleted all of social media and is now posting hour-long religious rants by himself on Instagram.<\/p>\n \u201cThe old me is dead,\u201d Ivey said earlier this season about his career. <\/p>\n Bulls HC Billy Donovan Reacts<\/p>\n After the Bulls waived him, Ivey said that his earlier conduct \u201cwas not detrimental\u201d to the organization and that he was waived unfairly.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThey said your conduct has been detrimental to the team\u2026 I haven\u2019t even been with the team because I\u2019ve been rehabbing,\u201d Ivey said. \u201cSo how is my conduct detrimental to the team? What have I done to detriment? Did I say \u201cyou suck\u201d (to the players)?<\/p>\n \u201cThat would be detrimental to the team if I\u2019m saying the players suck. We supposed to be teammates. We\u2019re supposed to be on the same team, right? We\u2019re supposed to be passing to each other, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan also weighed in on the controversy.<\/p>\n \u201cI know some of the things that were put out there,\u201d Donvoan said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s a situation for him where it\u2019s on his own personal Instagram, and I don\u2019t want to get into what he put out there, but certainly, I hope for him, he\u2019s okay.<\/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<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tSai Mohan<\/a> covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan<\/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 \t\t\t\t\t