With the Los Angeles Lakers starting to build a bit of momentum as the All-Star break nears, they have made another roster move. Two days after trading guard Gabe Vincent and a future second-round draft pick to the Atlanta Hawks for sharpshooter Luke Kennard, they’re adding another guard to their roster.
Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, the Lakers are bringing in Kobe Bufkin, a 6-foot-4 guard from the South Bay Lakers, their G League affiliate, on a two-year contract.
“The Lakers are signing former No. 15 pick Kobe Bufkin to a two-year deal, with a team option for the 2026-27 season, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Saturday.
“Bufkin has starred for Los Angeles’ South Bay G League affiliate and now rejoins the Lakers in his third NBA season to fill their 15th roster spot.”
Bufkin had played for the Purple and Gold for three games in January on a 10-day contract and put up minimal numbers. But he has averages of 24.7 points on 4.96% field-goal shooting and 43.1% from 3-point range, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists a game during the G League tip-off tournament, and in the regular season, he has averaged 27.7 points a game on 52.2% overall shooting and 43.1% from downtown.
On Monday, he had 36 points against the Osceola Magic, and he followed up that performance with 41 points two days later versus the Capital City Go-Go.
Bufkin was originally the No. 15 pick by the Hawks in the 2023 NBA Draft. Prior to that, he had played two seasons at the University of Michigan.
It was thought that perhaps Los Angeles would use its 15th and final roster spot on a player from the buyout market, but it has instead decided to tap into the minor leagues for some help.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers are signing Kobe Bufkin from G League affiliate
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
