JJ Redick, Lakers, NBA buyout market, Kobe Bufkin
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Head coach JJ Redick of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on December 23, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Los Angeles Lakers made a surprising move by guaranteeing their 15th roster spot to Kobe Bufkin instead of dipping their toes into the NBA buyout market.
After Monday’s 119-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Lakers head coach JJ Redick explained why he and the front office chose to invest in Bufkin, who has been around the team all season, rather than bring in a veteran player.
“There’s a lot of factors that go into the buyout market,” Redick said, via ClutchPoints’ David Yapkowitz. “I’ll just be frank, I know this because I did this when I was working in media. It very rarely produces a player that impacts a team’s playoff chances. It just very rarely does.”
“The second part of that is you got to make sure if you get a buyout player, you got to make sure that guy is healthy, that guy is ready to play.”
Lakers High on Kobe Bufkin
Redick lavished praise on Bufkin and explained why the 22-year-old “earned” his spot.
“Kobe certainly earned a spot in the NBA with the way he’s played this year for us in South Bay,” said the second-year Lakers coach.
“There’s also the factors of are we going to be able to keep him in our program. So there’s a lot that went into it. We feel really happy that we got him on a roster spot.”
“The thing that Zach has really challenged him on this year and that he’s gotten better on is just his defensive activity and engagement,” Redick continued.
“I think he’s got the positional size to be a plus defender. And obviously his ability to shoot the ball consistently, particularly on our team, would provide great value.”
Lakers Approach All-Star Break
Technically, the Lakers still have the ability to enter the buyout market by waiving a player on a standard contract (not two-way) to create a roster spot. However, as a first apron team, they’d be unable to sign a buyout candidate whose pre-buyout salary was less than the Mid-Level Exception (approx. $12.8M).
Redick’s team plays the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, the last game before the All-Star break. The Lakers could have their Big 3 of LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves finally together post All-Star break, which could propel them to finish the season on a high. The trio has played only eight games this season because all three players have dealt with injuries at various points.
Some analysts are optimistic that the Lakers could make a deep playoff run if James, Doncic and Reaves are healthy and clicking. However, James reminded the world of the Lakers’ standing in the West after Monday’s loss to the reigning NBA champions.
“You want me to compare us to them? That’s a championship team right there. We’re not,” James said after the loss. “We can’t sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes, and they can. That’s why they won a championship.”
The Lakers (32-20) are 4.0 games behind the Spurs (36-16) for the second seed in the West, but only 1.0 game behind the third-seeded Denver Nuggets (34-20). The West standings could look very different by April.