Bulls' Jaden Ivey to miss at least two weeks with sore left knee
jaden ivey has been shut down for at least two weeks so the Bulls can remove soreness from his left knee and begin a focused strengthening program, the team said. The decision follows his trade at the deadline from Detroit and mounting concern about how he has moved since joining Chicago.
Jaden Ivey shut down for two-week strengthening block
The immediate plan for the guard is a two-week block of strengthening the muscles around his knee and then a re-evaluation. Bulls coach Billy Donovan said the decision not to play Ivey in a Thursday game — when he did not suit up against Toronto — was made from a coaching and medical perspective because medical staff saw that he was not moving well and had soreness that needed attention.
Detroit and Chicago coaches remain optimistic about recovery
Both the Pistons and head coach J. B. Bickerstaff framed the issue as one of timing rather than the likelihood of recovery after last season's horrific leg injury. Bickerstaff said, “We expected a full recovery, but the timing you never know, which is something you can never know. ” He added that rebuilding trust in the injured limb is part of the work for an explosive player like Ivey.
Donovan also emphasized the role of strengthening. “Clearly, we’ve got to remove some soreness to get him better, but he has to do some strengthening too with a lot of the muscles around his knee, ” he said. The coaching staff and medical team will re-evaluate Ivey after the two-week program.
How he looked before and after the injury
Before the season-ending injury last year, Ivey averaged 17. 6 points per game in his first 30 games and shot just under 41% from three. In his return this season with Detroit, he was playing about 17 minutes per game, averaging 8. 2 points and shooting 37% from three, with noticeable drops in play-making and explosiveness.
Those performance changes were evident in his early time with the Bulls as well. He played in his first four games after the trade, then did not play against Toronto, and team staff noted he often looked slowed while trying to regain his burst. After a DNP, Ivey drew reaction when he declared “old J. I. is dead, ” a comment that followed coaching and medical discussions about his readiness.
What comes next
The next confirmed milestone is the two-week strengthening period followed by a medical re-evaluation to determine Ivey’s readiness to return to game action. The organization said that re-evaluation will guide whether he resumes playing this season, a possibility that remains open but not guaranteed. The Bulls also announced that Zach Collins will miss the rest of the season after doctors decided surgery was the best course for his toe injury.
