Bulls Remain Invested in Keeping Jaden Ivey

The team is hopeful the guard can return from his knee injury before the season ends.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 1:19am

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The Chicago Bulls are committed to keeping guard Jaden Ivey, who was acquired from the Detroit Pistons at the trade deadline. Despite Ivey playing just four games before being shut down with a knee injury, the team believes he can be a key part of their future. Head coach Billy Donovan expressed optimism about Ivey's recovery and the team's desire to re-sign him as a restricted free agent this offseason.

Why it matters

Ivey was a high draft pick and showed promise in Detroit, so the Bulls are hoping he can regain his form and become a long-term piece for the franchise. Retaining young talent is crucial for the Bulls as they look to build a contender, especially with limited free agent options available this offseason.

The details

Ivey was acquired by the Bulls in a deadline deal that sent Kevin Huerter to the Pistons. He played just four games for Chicago before being shut down with a knee injury. The team is hopeful he can return before the end of the season to get more acclimated, but they are confident he will be back to full strength over the summer. Donovan said the team's intention was for Ivey to be a long-term part of the roster.

  • Ivey was acquired by the Bulls at the 2026 NBA trade deadline.
  • Ivey played just four games for the Bulls before being shut down with a knee injury.
  • Ivey is expected to be re-evaluated in one week to determine his progress.

The players

Jaden Ivey

A young guard acquired by the Bulls from the Detroit Pistons at the trade deadline, who is currently sidelined with a knee injury.

Billy Donovan

The head coach of the Chicago Bulls, who expressed the team's desire to keep Ivey as a long-term piece.

Arturas Karnisovas

The executive vice president of basketball operations for the Chicago Bulls, who does not like to be wrong about personnel decisions.

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What they’re saying

“The intention was when we did (make the trade) is this could be somebody that would be here for a while. How all this plays out with the contract in July and the free agency part of it, understanding he's restricted, I don't know. But our intention organizationally was, this is a guy that we feel could be a very, very good player, and this guy's got a pretty long runway of being somewhat youthful and young.”

— Billy Donovan, Head Coach (suntimes.com)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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