Chicago Bulls Cut Former Top-5 Draft Pick Over Anti-LGBTQ Comments

Jaden Ivey criticized the NBA's support for Pride Month, calling it 'unrighteous'.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 3:48am

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting the silhouette of a basketball player, broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in a color palette of navy, green, and orange, conveying the conceptual tension between personal beliefs and professional conduct in the NBA.The NBA's crackdown on anti-LGBTQ+ views exposes the league's commitment to inclusion, even at the cost of cutting a former top draft pick.Chicago Today

The Chicago Bulls have waived former top-five NBA draft pick Jaden Ivey after he made controversial comments criticizing the league's support for Pride Month and calling it 'unrighteous'. The announcement follows Ivey's recent social media rants on religion and other topics that the team deemed 'conduct detrimental to the team'.

Why it matters

The decision to cut Ivey highlights the NBA's stance on promoting LGBTQ inclusion and the potential consequences players may face for expressing anti-LGBTQ views. It also raises questions about the league's approach to balancing players' personal beliefs with its own diversity and inclusion initiatives.

The details

Ivey, who was drafted 5th overall by the Bulls in 2023, has been posting several lengthy videos on his personal social media accounts in recent weeks. On Monday, he criticized the NBA's support for Pride Month, saying 'They proclaim Pride Month and the NBA. They proclaim it. They show it to the world. They say, 'come join us for Pride Month to celebrate unrighteousness.' In another video, Ivey also called Catholicism a 'false religion'.

  • Ivey's controversial comments were made in late March 2026.
  • The Chicago Bulls announced they were waiving Ivey on March 30, 2026.

The players

Jaden Ivey

A former top-5 NBA draft pick who was waived by the Chicago Bulls after making anti-LGBTQ comments criticizing the league's support for Pride Month.

Chicago Bulls

The NBA team that decided to waive Jaden Ivey following his controversial social media posts.

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What they’re saying

“The Chicago Bulls are waiving guard Jaden Ivey after his recent anti-LGBTQ comments amid several rants on religion and other topics.”

— Shams Charania, ESPN Senior NBA Insider

“The conduct they are claiming is detrimental is Christianity. They fired Jaden Ivey for being Christian.”

— Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder of The Federalist

What’s next

The decision to waive Ivey is expected to be finalized in the coming days, officially ending his time with the Chicago Bulls.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the NBA's commitment to promoting LGBTQ inclusion and diversity, even when it means parting ways with players who express anti-LGBTQ views. It also raises broader questions about how professional sports leagues balance players' personal beliefs with the league's own values and initiatives.