The Atlanta Hawks are trading guard Kobe Bufkin to the Brooklyn Nets for cash considerations, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Monday. This deal will create a $5.4 million trade exception for Atlanta.
Hawks Acquire $110,000 In Cash, Open Roster Flexibility
Atlanta will reportedly acquire $110,000 in cash, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The Hawks now have open roster flexibility with just 10 players on fully guaranteed salaries.
In addition, the Hawks have Vit Krejci and N’Faly Dante signed to partial guarantees, Mouhamed Gueye on a non-guaranteed contract, and Caleb Houstan, Kobe Johnson, and Charles Bassey on Exhibit 10 deals.
The Nets have $11.6 million in cap space following the move. Brooklyn also has 15 players signed to guaranteed contracts and four either on non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed deals.
Per Spotrac, Bufkin is slated to earn $5.4 million this season and has a $6.9 million team option for 2026-27. This is part of the four-year, $19.8 million rookie-scale contract he signed with Atlanta in July 2023.
Brooklyn has until Oct. 31 to make a decision on Bufkin’s team option.
Kobe Bufkin Hasn’t Lived Up To His First-Round Status
The Hawks selected Bufkin with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. Bufkin, who turns 22 on Sunday, appeared in just 27 games for Atlanta over the last two seasons.
Over his first two NBA campaigns, he averaged 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 11.9 minutes per contest while shooting 37.4% from the field and 22% from 3-point territory.
He played just seven games for Atlanta as a rookie, averaging 4.8 points per game on 37% shooting from the floor. Last season, he made just 10 appearances and logged 5.3 points and 2.4 minutes per contest before undergoing season-ending surgery in December.
The Michigan product also averaged 23.6 points while playing 14 games in the G League in 2023-24.
Had Bufkin stayed in Atlanta this season, he probably would have seen less playing time as a backup to Dyson Daniel, Luke Kennard, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Because the Nets are still undergoing a rebuild, Bufkin should have a better opportunity to remain on the court on a consistent basis during the upcoming 2025-26 season.
The Hawks host the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 22 to open the regular season.
