The Lakers have finally made a roster move, albeit a minor and short-term one.
On Tuesday morning, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that the team was signing Kobe Bufkin to a 10-day contract. Bufkin has
been a bright spot with the South Bay Lakers this season.
In 12 games this season, Bufkin is averaging 26.1 points on 52.8% shooting. He’s connecting on 41.3% of his 3-pointers on an average of 7.7 attempts per game. He’s also grabbing 4.7 rebounds and dishing 4.4 assists per contest as well.
Bufkin had a brief cameo with the Grizzlies this season, signing a hardship contract as Memphis went through an injury crisis. He never appeared in a game, however. He last played in the NBA with the Hawks last season, appearing in 10 games.
The signing comes at a critical time for the Lakers both in terms of need and schedule. LA has spent most of the season at the bottom of the league in bench scoring, so Bufkin can provide a scoring punch in that aspect alone.
It also comes with the Lakers amidst a busy stretch of games. Monday’s loss to the Kings was the first of five games in seven days for the Lakers. Bufkin will come in on the second night of a back-to-back against the Hawks while also being eligible to play in the other four games of that stretch.
In total across his 10 days, Bufkin will be eligible for six games. His contract would run out in the middle of a road trip and players can two 10-day contracts with a team, so if things go well, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him ink another deal.
Ultimately, it’s a golden opportunity for Bufkin, a former top-20 pick, to make a splash and a chance for the Lakers to get contributions from the bench.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
