Kobe Bufkin

Kobe Bufkin

22-Year-Old GuardG
Los Angeles Lakers
2024 Fantasy Outlook
The 2023 No. 15 overall pick, Bufkin made only 27 regular-season appearances over his first two seasons. After missing most of the 2024-25 campaign due to a shoulder injury, Bufkin returned to action during Summer League and balled out, averaging 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.0 steals across 26.5 minutes per game across four appearances. The Hawks added Luke Kennard and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to their backcourt this offseason, which apparently made Bufkin expendable. Atlanta shipped Bufkin to Brooklyn right before training camp, and he'll have a difficult time competing for playing time in a crowded backcourt. Rookies Egor Demin, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf could all see time at point guard for the Nets in 2025-26 and will likely be given developmental minutes over Bufkin. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Current Season
From Preseason
#166
ADP
$Signed a 10-day contract with the Lakers in January of 2026.
Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary

Bursting onto the scene down the final stretch for Michigan, Kobe Bufkin's sophomore year emergence earned him Third-team All-Big Ten honors. Over Michigan's final 12 games, Bufkin averaged 17.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.9 steals-plus-blocks per game while shooting 52.0 percent from the field and 45.1 percent from beyond the arc. Bufkin was a McDonald's All-American in 2021, and he's very young for his class, not turning 20 until September 2023. Bufkin is a do-it-all combo guard specializing in scoring at the basket. His body control and offensive polish are impressive. He's a well-built lefty at 6-foot-5 that can score at all three levels. Bufkin makes good decisions with the ball in his hands, is a great rebounder for a guard, and has a size that yields natural versatility. Finding a prospect with so few holes, flashy skills, and above-average size at a premium position is rare. The sample size on Bufkin is small, but there are strong indicators that he's fundamentally sound with a high ceiling. He'll need some reps orchestrating an NBA offense, but his hustle will earn him minutes, and his shooting is already credible. The slashing should translate. Bufkin may be locked into a sizable role by the later stages of his rookie season and could become a reliable sixth man sooner than later.

Part of rotation Thursday
GLos Angeles Lakers
January 16, 2026
Bufkin contributed zero points (0-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt), three rebounds, one steal and one block across 17 minutes Thursday in the Lakers' 135-117 loss to the Hornets.
ANALYSIS
After being recalled from the G League's South Bay Lakers ahead of Thursday's contest, Bufkin was somewhat surprisingly included in head coach JJ Redick's rotation after his lone other appearance for Los Angeles came in garbage time of a blowout win over the Hawks on Tuesday. Bufkin was largely deferential on offense with a minuscule 7.6 percent usage rate, but he made an impact on the other end of the court with a pair of defensive counters. While the 22-year-old might have done enough to remain part of the second unit Saturday in Portland, he's signed to a 10-day deal with the Lakers and won't necessarily be in line for a long-term stay in the rotation.
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Stat Review
How does Kobe Bufkin compare to other players?
This section compares his stats with all players from the previous three seasons (minimum 200 minutes played)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
  • True Shooting %
    An advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball that takes field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point percentage into account.
  • Effective Field Goal %
    A statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points while field goals only count for two points.
  • 3-Point Attempt Rate
    Percentage of field goal attempts from three point range.
  • Free Throw Rate
    Number of free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
  • Offensive Rebound %
    An estimate of the percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
  • Defensive Rebound %
    An estimate of the percentage of available defensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
  • Total Rebound %
    An estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
  • Assist %
    An estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while they were on the floor.
  • Steal %
    An estimate of the percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while they were on the floor.
  • Block %
    An estimate of the percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while they were on the floor.
  • Turnover %
    An estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays.
  • Usage %
    An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they were on the floor.
  • Fantasy Points Per Game
    NBA Fantasy Points Per Game.
  • Fantasy Points Per Minute
    NBA Fantasy Points Per Minute.
True Shooting %
50.5%
 
Effective Field Goal %
45.5%
 
3-Point Attempt Rate
63.6%
 
Free Throw Rate
18.2%
 
Offensive Rebound %
2.7%
 
Defensive Rebound %
10.2%
 
Total Rebound %
6.5%
 
Assist %
5.7%
 
Steal %
1.0%
 
Block %
6.3%
 
Turnover %
6.7%
 
Usage %
12.4%
 
Fantasy Points Per Game
8.0
 
Fantasy Points Per Minute
0.7
 
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NBA Historical Fantasy Stats
How are these ratings calculated?
Our historical fantasy ratings are standard scores calculated using 8-Category settings with 12 teams and 13 players per team.
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Historical ADP
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Lakers Depth Chart
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Lakers Rotation: Minutes Breakdown
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Average Fantasy Points
Average Fantasy Points are determined when Kobe Bufkin was active vs. non-active during the season. Click here to view average fantasy points for a different time period.
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2023 Fantasy Outlook
Although Bufkin could be well down the depth chart in Atlanta, there remains a path to minutes given his proven ability as a legitimate scoring threat. Selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Bufkin brings with him plenty of size, standing at 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan. He averaged 17.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals as a sophomore at Michigan, numbers that translate well to the NBA. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray are likely to soak up the bulk of the guard minutes, with Patty Mills and Bogdan Bogdanovic serving as backup options. However, Bufkin could certainly see the court on most nights, especially with Mills' career now on a sharp downward trend.
More Fantasy News
Dispatched to G League
GSouth Bay Lakers   G League (Lakers)
January 15, 2026
Los Angeles assigned Bufkin to the G League's South Bay Lakers on Wednesday.
ANALYSIS
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Lands 10-day deal with Lakers
GLos Angeles Lakers
January 13, 2026
Bufkin agreed to a 10-day contract with the Lakers on Tuesday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
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Solid stat line Saturday
GSouth Bay Lakers   G League (Lakers)
January 11, 2026
Bufkin contributed 24 points (8-14 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 38 minutes during Saturday's 107-106 G League loss to the Austin Spurs.
ANALYSIS
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Continues rolling in G League
GSouth Bay Lakers   G League (Lakers)
January 9, 2026
Bufkin posted 37 points (12-28 FG, 4-13 3Pt, 5-6 FT), seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block in 41 minutes during Friday's 111-99 G League loss to the to Austin Spurs.
ANALYSIS
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Dominant all-around win
GSouth Bay Lakers   G League (Lakers)
January 7, 2026
Bufkin compiled 27 points (6-11 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 7-7 FT), eight rebounds, eight assists, four steals and two blocks across 39 minutes during Tuesday's 113-101 G League win over the Hustle.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Option for Grizzlies?
GFree Agent
October 20, 2025
Bufkin is one of several free agents who could sign with the Grizzlies on a 10-day hardship contract after the third game of the regular season, Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian speculates.
ANALYSIS
The Grizzlies could apply for a 10-day hardship contract since they have at least two players sidelined at two positions, point guard and center. Bufkin could be a potential target if they're looking to add another guard to bolster their depth behind Ja Morant, who's currently listed as probable with an ankle problem. Bufkin started his NBA career with the Hawks and was waived by the Nets earlier this month.
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