For the first time in his NBA career, Jaden Ivey didn’t suit up in a Detroit Pistons jersey.
A [trade to the Chicago Bulls earlier this week](https://www.mlive.com/pistons/2026/02/pistons-trade-jaden-ivey-to-the-bulls-as-part-of-three-team-deal.html) saw the former Pistons lottery pick change teams for the first time and he was quickly thrown in the mix.
The Bulls made seven deals at the NBA trade deadline, overhauling their roster as they try and reset for the future.
Ivey will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, so his part of that future is up in the air and will likely depend on how he shows up in the back half of the season.
After his debut Thursday night in a 123-107 loss to the Toronto Raptors, it’s clear the Bulls plan to let him spend a lot of time on the court.
Ivey started and played a season-high 33 minutes — the most since his return from a broken left fibula — scoring 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting while adding six assists, four rebounds and three steals.
“This was probably the longest minutes I’ve played in a while,” Ivey said after the game. “Praise god that I was even able to play the whole game.”
Part of the reason [Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the trade went down](https://www.mlive.com/pistons/2026/02/pistons-needed-to-make-a-business-decision-with-jaden-ivey-trade-coach-says.html) was to give Ivey a new opportunity with a team he believed would give him more time on the court.
Since the injury, Ivey’s never seemed to have the run in games to try and find his previous form again, in part due to the success this year’s team has accomplished as the Eastern Conference frontrunners.
Bickerstaff has played a deep rotation, but that’s meant only one player on the roster — All-Star guard Cade Cunningham — is averaging over 30 minutes of play time every game.
The Bulls should have some good chances for Ivey to start finding his way again. Two of Chicago’s starters on Thursday were making their debuts with the team and two others who played are new to the roster.
There are four more players set to debut in the near future after being traded. In that space, Ivey is confident he can add a lot to team going through massive change.
“I think leadership, for one. Over my years with Detroit I was able to learn a lot and experience different situations,” Ivey told Chicago Sports Network. “And I think that’s what I can bring to this team.”