The Los Angeles Lakers have a very solid 8-4 record right now, but they could use more depth and athleticism, especially at the guard and wing spots. They were blown out by 29 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the defending NBA champions, on Wednesday, and it was a reality check when it comes to how far away they are from being contenders.
On Thursday, they reportedly made a minor roster move when their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, acquired guard Kobe Bufkin, a former first-round draft pick.
Via ESPN:
“In other South Bay news, the team acquired Kobe Bufkin in a trade with the Motor City Cruise in exchange for a 2027 first-round pick in the G League draft,” wrote Dave McMenamin.
“Bufkin, a 6-foot-5 guard, was selected with the No. 15 pick in the 2023 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks. South Bay waived guard Jace Carter in a related move.”
Bufkin, who is 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, was thought to have potential coming out of the University of Michigan, where he averaged 14 points a game during the 2022-23 season. But in two prior pro seasons, he has averaged just five points in 11.9 minutes a game and shot 37.4% from the field and 22% from 3-point range.
He has dealt with multiple injuries since coming into the league, but NBADraft.net compared him to Jordan Poole when he entered the pros and lauded his ability to score from all three levels while being able to hold his own on the defensive end against both point guards and shooting guards.