Kobe Bufkin, a 6-foot-4 guard out of the University of Michigan, was the No. 15 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. After playing in 27 games with the Hawks through his first two seasons, he ended up in the G League and was traded to the South Bay Lakers, the Los Angeles Lakers’ G League affiliate, in November 2025.
He has played well with South Bay this season, averaging 24.7 points a game on 49.6% field-goal shooting and 43.1% 3-point shooting during the tip-off tournament and 28.7 points on 54% overall shooting and 39% from downtown in seven regular-season games. Coming into the pros, he was thought to have the potential to become a viable 3-and-D player.
On Tuesday, the big league Lakers, who are still without guard Austin Reaves, signed Bufkin to a 10-day contract.
This will give him another opportunity to prove that he can play well in the NBA, while giving the Lakers an opportunity to see if they can develop a 3-and-D player in-house without needing to find one on the trade market.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers sign G League guard Kobe Bufkin to 10-day contract
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
