The Chicago Bulls moved on from Jaden Ivey on Monday. The decision didn’t come out of nowhere—it followed weeks of unfiltered Instagram Lives where the 24-year-old spoke about personal struggles, faith, and controversial views. His latest “unrighteousness” remarks about the NBA promoting Pride Month, however, pushed things too far internally. The franchise acted swiftly and decisively. And within hours of the move, his now former teammate Josh Giddey reached out with a message.

“He’s a very talented player,” guard Josh Giddey said of the Ivey news per the Chicago Sun Times’ report. “Obviously, the whole thing is kind of unfortunate in a way. I hope he gets the help he needs, whatever he’s going through or not going through. I do really hope he gets help. It’s not going to be with the Bulls anymore, but wherever it is, I hope he gets it.”

What truly triggered the move was Ivey’s Instagram rant. “The world proclaims LGBTQ, right? They proclaim Pride Month – and the NBA does too. They show it to the world, they say, ‘Come join us for Pride Month, to celebrate unrighteousness,” he said.

The Bulls didn’t wait long. The move was a direct response to Ivey’s comments, as the Bulls had just held their eighth annual Pride Night, backing the LGBTQIA+ community and the freedom to be oneself. The 312 Crew took over the United Center atrium, energizing a slate of fan activities. The organization leaned in fully—handing out themed merchandise and offering complimentary tickets for the Pride Night game.

The organization’s beliefs appear to have driven such a drastic step. At the same time, Jaden Ivey also made controversial remarks, including calling Catholicism a “false religion” in another livestream on Monday. “And is not the true Doctrine of Christ,” he said. “(It) does not lead to salvation in Jesus Christ.” His remarks sparked backlash in no time. The issues with Ivey had been building for some time.

On February 19 against the Toronto Raptors, Ivey stayed on the bench at coach Billy Donovan’s decision, despite being in one of the rare fully healthy stretches of his young career. Following the game, he told the media in the locker room that he “wasn’t the same player as he used to be.” He was referring to his newfound religious faith.

“I’m alive in Christ, no matter what the basketball setting is. I think as a child, I just never felt love before, never felt what true love felt like,” he said.

After being waived, Ivey took to another fiery Instagram Live to call out the Bulls for their decision.

Jaden Ivey slammed the Chicago Bulls after the waiver

From the airport, Jaden Ivey questioned the team’s decision and called out his teammates. “All right, they said, ‘your conduct is detrimental to the team.’ I haven’t been with the team because I’ve been rehabbing. So, how’s my conduct detrimental to the team? Where have I done detriment?” he asked. “Did I say you suck to the players? That would be detrimental to the team, right? I’m saying the player sucks, and I’m on the same team as him, right? And he’s my teammate. We’re supposed to be teammates.”

Meanwhile, after boarding the plane, he then turned his attention to Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, directing his next set of comments at him. “That’s why you got Steph Curry, and y’all believe he’s a Christian because he wrote Phil. 4:13. Y’all think he’s a Christian, but he’s cursing just like the world,” Jaden Ivey ranted.

Ivey’s brief and troubled tenure in Chicago was a steep fall for a player drafted No. 5 overall in 2022; after knee trouble derailed his previous season and delayed his current one, he made only four appearances before the team shut him down amidst reports of internal friction over his intense and outspoken approach, which some reportedly found to be “preachy.”

The fallout came fast and left no room for doubt. The Bulls drew a firm line and acted without hesitation, while Jaden Ivey stood his ground amidst controversy. The gap had already widened beyond repair. While the Bulls have drawn a clear line on team conduct, Ivey’s unapologetic stance ensures the debate over his release, and his future in the league is far from settled.