The Jaden Ivey saga continued on Saturday morning.
On Friday afternoon, the recently returned Billy Donovan announced that Ivey was not with the team for practice. Less than 24 hours removed from a DNP-CD and postgame comments regarding a sore knee, the 24-year-old guard was undergoing a medical evaluation. To be clear, Donovan stressed that Ivey was available to play for Thursday night's game, but the player's remarks clearly raised a red flag.
The injury report eventually surfaced with Ivey listed as "questionable" for Saturday's matchup against his former team. He was noted as having Left Patellofemoral, which is known as a lingering pain issue. Nonetheless, the Bulls downgraded Ivey again in the hours leading up to tip-off, revealing that he will now be re-evaluated in two weeks due to the knee soreness.
Both Jaden Ivey and Zach Collins could be seen putting in some light work after Bulls shootaround. Collins ruled out for season this morning and Jaden now out 2 weeks.
Billy was chatting it up with Jaden for a bit. pic.twitter.com/U0FSkFjbrp
— Elias Schuster (@Schuster_Elias) February 21, 2026
While a re-evaluation always suggests that Ivey could miss even more time, the initial timeline means the guard will sit out at least the next seven contests. He will miss matchups with the Pistons, Knicks, Hornets, Trail Blazers, Bucks, Thunder, and Suns. Those first six contests will all be at the United Center, while the latter will be the Bulls' first of five on the West Coast.
Ivey's arrival felt like arguably the most exciting deadline move for the Bulls. A former Top 5 pick in the draft in need of a change of scenery, Chicago felt like the perfect landing spot. Ivey could work his way back up to speed, all while potentially proving to be the right running mate to Josh Giddey.
Nevertheless, things have taken a sharp turn. The Bulls will now miss out on some key evaluation time as Ivey heads toward restricted free agency. The less they are able to see him in action – whether it be in-game or in practice – the harder it's going to be to decide what the future should look like.
Bulls Share Zach Collins Update
Zach Collins of the Chicago Bulls
Dec 21, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Zach Collins (12) and Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) fight for the ball during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
In addition to the Jaden Ivey update, the Chicago Bulls have finally ruled out Zach Collins for the remainder of the season.
The big man was expected to carry a meaningful reserve role this year after some strong play following the 2025-26 trade deadline. Unfortunately, he suffered a wrist injury during the preseason, which forced him to miss the first 21 games of the regular season.
Collins proceeded to play ten straight games upon his arrival, averaging a solid 9.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists a night. After a loss to Milwaukee on December 27, however, Collins was sidelined due to a toe injury. He has now missed the last 25 games, making little progress along the way. With that in mind, the Bulls have shared that he will undergo a season-ending surgery in an attempt to solve the problem.
An unrestricted free agent in the coming months, Collins' time with the organization could be coming to an end. While he's been productive when healthy, remaining that way has been a major issue over the course of his career. The Bulls have also shown in recent weeks that they are prepared to go in a very different direction, and finding a more long-term option in the frontcourt could be a logical next step.