The Atlanta Hawks dumped Kobe Bufkin’s contract for cash in an inglorious trade to the Brooklyn Nets, but Bufkin’s career has hit a second wind in the G League this season.
After the Nets waived him just days before the season began, the third-year guard joined Drew Timme on an exciting South Bay Lakers squad. Bufkin has been an explosive two-way threat for South Bay, dropping 26.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists on 42.2% from three through six games.
Bufkin’s two point scoring outburst is no surprise. He has the tools to be a dangerous slasher even at the NBA level, but his poor shooting prevented him from being an impactful player in the big leagues. If Bufkin is shooting over 40% from deep, or even the league average 36.0%, he suddenly becomes a player who demands a spot on an NBA roster.
The Hawks bailed on Kobe Bufkin at the worst time
Bufkin has all the tools to be a high-level role player in the NBA. Opponents shot 12.1% worse than expected when guarded by Bufkin, which ranked in the 99th percentile of guard defenders last season. With a few years developing behind the monstrous perimeter duo of Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Bufkin could have broken out as an elite defender as well.
The Hawks traded Bufkin because of his offensive struggles. His true shooting was 9.4% below league average despite an above-average clip on self-created looks. Bufkin simply couldn’t knock the three pointer down. His 21.1% clip from deep made it impossible to play him without creating a litany of offensive problems elsewhere.
It wasn’t quite time to give Bufkin up for nothing, however. In hindsight, the team probably made the move to clear space for Keaton Wallace, who the Hawks elevated to a standard NBA contract to fill the final guard role.
But the move was preventable. The Hawks have an empty roster spot and room for his salary under the first apron. If the Hawks traded Bufkin to sign one of the many veteran point guards in free agency, the decision to dump Bufkin would be defensible – at least a basketball decision was made, whether correct or incorrect. Instead, it was a purely financial move with only a marginal impact, increasing their room below the first apron from $9 million to $13 million.
If Bufkin flopped for the Hawks this season, his $4 million expiring deal would have been easy to dump midseason. Teams will soon posture themselves for a trade season that looks rather interesting, with at least five recent All-Stars reportedly on the market.
Bufkin’s career was always going to be defined by whether he could become a solid three point shooter. If he knocks down the deep shot, his other skills will make him a medium-usage combo guard that any team could use. If he doesn’t, he isn’t quite strong enough anywhere else to overcome his poor spacing.
Now that the three is falling, the Hawks may soon regret their decision to prematurely pull the trigger.