Report: Lakers signing former first-round pick Kobe Bufkin to 2-year deal
Jan 17, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bufkin (18) take the ball up court during the second half against Portland Trail Blazers guard Rayan Rupert (21) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Lakers are signing guard Kobe Bufkin, a former first-round pick, to a two-year contract with a team option for the 2026-27, ESPN reported on Saturday night.
Buffkin, 22, has appeared in four games as a reserve this season for the Lakers and averaged 3.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 11.3 minutes.
He has been starring this season for South Bay, the Lakers' G League affiliate, averaging 26.7 points in 26 games. He's shooting 51.3% from the field and 43% from beyond the arc. He scored a career-high 41 points in a win on Wednesday over the Capital City Go-Go.
For his NBA career, Bufkin averages 4.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 11.8 minutes in 31 games (no starts) for the Atlanta Hawks (2023-25) and Lakers.
Atlanta selected Bufkin out of Michigan with the 15th overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft. The Hawks traded him to Brooklyn on Sept. 16, 2025, for cash considerations, and the Nets waived him on Oct. 19 of that year.
Bufkin signed 10-day contracts this season with the Memphis Grizzlies on Nov. 24 and the Lakers on Jan. 13.
--Field Level Media
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