Ah! Season over! Farewell, the talented No. 5 pick!

Ah? So sudden?

The Bulls announced:Jaden Ivey is ending this season early due to left knee pain...

Before this year's trade deadline, the Bulls acquired Ivey from the Pistons in a three-team trade.

This guy played 33 games for the Pistons this season, starting 2 times, averaging 16.8 minutes per game with 8.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists, with shooting percentages of 45%, 37.2%, and 78.9%; with the Bulls, he played 4 games, starting 3 times, averaging 28.8 minutes per game with 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, with shooting percentages of 41.7%, 38.1%, and 88.9%.

Born on February 13, 2002, Ivey is a 1.91m tall, 2.05m wingspan combo guard, the 5th pick in the 2022 draft. He helped the USA win the 2021 U19 World Cup, averaging 12.3 points, 3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.6 steals in 16.5 minutes per game, earning All-Tournament honors. In his sophomore NCAA season at Purdue, he averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists with a 53.1% field goal percentage.

Clearly, Ivey was once a prodigy. Since entering the NBA, he was heavily utilized by the Pistons: rookie season averaging 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists; sophomore season 15.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists; third season 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4 assists. However, injuries gradually dimmed his spotlight, and as described, he became a trade asset, bringing his talent to Chicago.

In early 2025, during a Pistons vs. Magic game, Ivey was knocked down hard by Cole Anthony while scrambling for a ball, resulting in a serious injury. He returned to play nearly a year later.

In a previous interview, Ivey appeared calm yet resigned, stating he could still play, but the past version of himself was gone.

It's particularly noteworthy that this season is Ivey's rookie contract year. Yet, after being traded and playing only 4 games for his new team, his season is now over. This summer, he may only secure a low-salary contract to stay in the NBA.

The NBA never lacks talent, nor does it lack fallen talents.