The Chicago Bulls on Friday continued their downward spiral, losing to the Toronto Raptors, 110-101, for their seventh straight defeat and ninth in their last 10. While the loss was news, an even bigger story was the postgame admission of Jaden Ivey, who received a DNP-CD.
Recently acquired in a trade with the Detroit Pistons, Jaden Ivey acknowledged he’s dealing with knee soreness, which is certainly bad news, as he just came back from a broken fibula. What he admitted next was nothing short of heartbreaking.
“I’ve been dealing with knee soreness in my knee,” Ivey told reporters after the Bulls’ loss. “I’m sure people can call it out. I’m not the same player as I used to be. That’s 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. I’m born again.”
Jaden Ivey Is Getting Checked Out
Incidentally, Chicago coach Billy Donovan seemed to reinforce Ivey’s view, noting that the former top-five pick in 2022 isn’t moving as he used to before admitting that keeping him out against the Raptors was a coaching decision.
“Seeing him early in his career in Detroit, coming back I think for him, in my opinion, he’s not moving like he once did. I know maybe he mentioned after the game he was dealing with some soreness in his knee,” Donovan said postgame. “I don’t know how much it’s affecting him. He was definitely available to play, nothing has kept him out with his knee. But today he wasn’t here. He’s getting checked out to see if everything is okay. He was available to play, it was a coaching decision last night.”
Prior to the benching, Jaden Ivey was putting up 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists for the Bulls. Before breaking his fibula in 2025, Ivey was averaging 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists while looking like a candidate for the NBA’s next breakout star.
Now, it appears health issues are starting to break the young man.
