The Los Angeles Lakers are known for their quality scouting department and their ability to give second chances to former top picks that need a fresh start. They have scouted and added talent via their two-way contracts and the South Bay Lakers that have gone on to make major impacts at the NBA level.
Currently, South Bay is home to a few of these exact types of players in Nick Smith Jr., Christian Koloko and Drew Timme. They also have a some other intriguing talent in Chris Mañon and Kylor Kelley, while getting the occasional boost from Bronny James.
But the work of scouting and adding depth to the organization is never done. And it appears the Lakers are making another addition in this category, taking on former first-round pick Kobe Bufkin from the G League player pool, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
The South Bay Lakers plan to acquire former Atlanta Hawks guard Kobe Bufkin, sources told ESPN. Bufkin was the No. 15 pick in the 2023 draft out of the University of Michigan. Bufkin was traded from ATL to BKN and entered the G League pool after being waived last month.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 13, 2025
As stated above, Bufkin was the No. 15 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He was selected by the Atlanta Hawks after spending his freshman season at the University of Michigan. He played two seasons for the Hawks before being traded this offseason to the Brooklyn Nets in a salary dump. Bufkin was waived to make room for Brooklyn’s five first-round picks.
The Lakers had the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, two after Bufkin was selected. They selected Indiana guard Jalen Hood-Schifino with that pick, who is already no longer with the organization. But there was plenty of rumored interest in Bufkin from the Lakers.
It’s possible that had Bufkin fallen to No. 17, the Lakers would have selected him instead of Hood-Schifino. But now, he gets a chance to join the organization two years later, while still only 22 years old. Bufkin is a classic Rob Pelinka type player, a guard from Michigan with some flashy shooting numbers from college and an aggressive defensive mentality.
It remains to be seen if he’ll get any opportunities outside of South Bay, but having organizational depth is an important part of building out a strong roster.
LeBron James looked and felt great with South Bay Lakers
Lakers superstar LeBron James hasn’t yet been able to take the floor this season due to a sciatica issue on his right side.
Considering James is entering his unprecedented 23rd season, the organization is being cautious and making sure the 40-year-old is 100% healthy before playing.
With the Lakers currently on a five-game road trip, LeBron is practicing with South Bay this week to get in some live action for the first time and the reports coming out of his first practice were very positive.
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