The Los Angeles Lakers recently made an intriguing move by bringing in former No. 15 overall pick Kobe Bufkin to their G League affiliate South Bay Lakers.
Bufkin struggled considerably in finding a role with the Atlanta Hawks through two seasons and this past offseason, they traded Bufkin to the Brooklyn Nets. He was waived at the end of training camp and was now hoping to reinvent himself in the G League, where Bufkin looked impressive through two games with South Bay.
He appeared in two Tip-Off Tournament games for the team this season, averaging 22.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 28.7 minutes. The 22-year-old scored in double figures in both contests, including a season-high 28 points at Salt Lake City Nov. 18.
This ultimately caught the attention of the Memphis Grizzlies, who have been hampered by injuries at the guard position. Due to their injury luck, they were granted a 10-day hardship exception and opted to sign Bufkin, via Shams Charania of ESPN:
The Memphis Grizzlies plan to sign guard Kobe Bufkin via 10-day hardship exception, sources tell ESPN. Bufkin, the No. 15 pick in the 2023 draft, gets called up from the Lakers' South Bay G League team and enters his third NBA season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 23, 2025
It is worth noting that the Lakers were intrigued by Bufkin leading up to the 2023 Draft, but opted to go with Jalen Hood-Schifino after he was taken by the Hawks.
Memphis needed a guard with Ja Morant sidelined due to a calf strain and Ty Jerome similarly dealing with a calf injury, so Bufkin will get a look.
There are minutes to be had and it will be intriguing to monitor how much playing time Bufkin gets upon his arrival in Tennessee. Ultimately, through two games with the South Bay Lakers, the 6’4″ guard averaged 22 points, 6.5 rebounds and four assists on 44.4% from the field and 50% from 3-point range.
As far as the Lakers go, there are too many guard options at head coach JJ Redick’s disposal right now. With Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, Marcus Smart and to a lesser extent Nick Smith Jr. and Bronny James, it was hard to imagine any immediate opportunity for Bufkin like Memphis has. Depending on how things go in Memphis though, it is possible that he winds up back with South Bay after his contract expires.
Kobe Bufkin was among prospects Lakers met with at Combine before 2023 Draft
Revisiting previous drafts is always interesting to see which teams made great or poor picks. Leading up to the 2023 Draft, the Lakers met with prospects who have had moments in the NBA, with Kobe Bufkin being one of those.
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