The Los Angeles Lakers acquired one guard at the NBA trade deadline and have now added another to their roster after it. NBA insider Shams Charania reports that the Lakers are signing Kobe Bufkin to a two-year deal.
“The Los Angeles Lakers are signing guard Kobe Bufkin to a two-year deal, with a team option for the 2026-27 season, sources tell ESPN. Bufkin has starred for L.A.’s South Bay affiliate and now rejoins the Lakers in his third NBA season to fill their 15th roster spot.”
Bufkin has been immense for the South Bay Lakers in the G League this season. The 22-year-old has averaged 27.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game for South Bay in the regular season.
Bufkin’s exploits had led to the Lakers signing him to a 10-day contract back in January, but he didn’t see a lot of action in his four outings. He put up just 3.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game.
Still, the Lakers have clearly seen enough from Bufkin to give him that last roster spot. It is an interesting decision, though.
Once it became clear that the Lakers would have one open roster spot after the deadline, you’d imagined they would go after some of the big names in the buyout market. They were linked to Cam Thomas and Haywood Highsmith, but opted to go in-house instead. Time will tell if they made the right call.
Bufkin, who grew up a Lakers fan, would be desperate to make the most of this opportunity. If he manages to impress the rest of the season, the Lakers might just pick up that team option.
Bufkin’s NBA career hasn’t gone according to plan so far. The Atlanta Hawks had selected him with the 15th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but he failed to make an impression with the team.
The Hawks traded Bufkin to the Brooklyn Nets in September 2025 for just cash considerations. He wouldn’t be with the Nets for too long, as they waived him before the start of the 2025-26 season.
The Motor City Cruise, the Detroit Pistons‘ G League affiliate, would claim Bufkin, but then traded him to South Bay. Before the Lakers gave him this standard deal, or the 10-day one before it, the Memphis Grizzlies had actually signed him to a 10-day hardship contract in November 2025. Bufkin didn’t get any game time, though, and returned to South Bay. He’d be hoping to stick around in the NBA now.
