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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 04: Kobe Bufkin #44 of the Brooklyn Nets looks on during the preseason match between the Brooklyn Nets and Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. at Barclays Center on October 04, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers have had one of the best offenses for most of the year. Even before LeBron James got healthy, they had a top-seven offense. That is no longer the case with Austin Reaves injured. The offense has slid a concerning amount with him off the court.
Right now, the Lakers have the 11th-best offense in the league. In the eight-game stretch that Reaves has missed, the offense has slipped to 20th. Even with Luka Doncic playing at an MVP-level, it’s clear that Los Angeles needs to bring in some help.
LA has decided to sign a guard to a 10-day contract to help them with the offense as Reaves continues to recover. That guard is former top-15 pick Kobe Bufkin.
GettyBrooklyn Nets guard Kobe Bufkin poses for a photo. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)
Lakers Sign Kobe Bufkin to 10-Day Contract
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Lakers are signing Bufkin to a 10-day contract. Bufkin had been playing with the Lakers’ G-League affiliate South Bay team. They must have liked what he was able to give them, so they gave him a promotion.
In his NBA career, Bufkin has only played in 17 games over two seasons. Both of those years came with the Atlanta Hawks, which is the team that drafted him. Yet, Bufkin has averaged almost 25 points per game in seven games played with South Bay, so he can put the ball in the hoop.
Signing Bufkin to a 10-day deal might indicate that Reaves’ recovery from his calf injury might be a little longer than anticipated. He was supposed to be re-evaluated in a month, and that was two weeks ago. Perhaps his recovery is not going quite as well as they had hoped.
Adding Bufkin to the roster is a smart move. It’s a low-risk investment that could give them some high returns in the short amount of time he’s with the franchise. He is someone who can provide instant offense off the bench when they are in a pinch.
GettyLos Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves shoots the ball. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
The Lakers Are Still Watching the Trade Block
Even with this signing, the Lakers are still keeping an eye on the trade block. They still have to improve their perimeter defense. Defensively, the Lakers have improved to 16th. Yet, they need someone who can still keep guards from penetrating the paint.
Los Angeles has a few expiring contracts that they can use in order to help them find the right kind of player to add. They have made it clear that they won’t be offering their 2032 first-round pick in any trade negotiations. LA is not interested in possibly screwing up the future to help the present.
Any trade that Rob Pelinka makes needs to be made with this season in mind only. James might be in his final year with the team, so winning a title now is more important than ever. Capitalizing on the window they have now should be Pelinka’s priority.