Bulls Waive Jaden Ivey After Inflammatory Social Media Posts

The Chicago Bulls waived guard Jaden Ivey on Monday, less than two months after acquiring the 24-year-old in a trade from the Detroit Pistons, following a series of inflammatory social media posts criticizing the NBA's support for the LGBTQ community and expressing strong religious views.

Ivey, the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Purdue, had played in just four games for the Bulls since the February 3 trade, which also involved the Minnesota Timberwolves. In those appearances, he averaged 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and four assists per game, with his last outing on February 11. He was subsequently sidelined by injury. The team cited conduct detrimental to the organization in its official announcement, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The decision stemmed from Ivey's recent online activity, which escalated over the weekend. In a livestream on Instagram, where he has more than 200,000 followers, Ivey railed against the league's Pride Month initiatives. "The world can proclaim LGBTQ, right? They proclaim Pride Month and the NBA does too," he said. "They show it to the world. They say, 'Come join us for Pride Month, to celebrate unrighteousness.' They...