The Los Angeles Lakers are hanging on to the Western Conference's No. 5 seed with a 32-20 record, and many in the NBA sphere have suggested that a savvy buyout market addition could propel the team to a higher standing.
Unfortunately, their second-year head coach JJ Redick wholeheartedly disagrees.
When asked about the potential for a move around the margins to support Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, Redick cited his personal experience as a media member as a source of skepticism with regard to buyout acquisition talks.
He'd also make mention of Los Angeles' Kobe Bufkin being a swell option to complete the team's roster for the rest of the season after having his two-way contract converted to a standard two-year deal, according to ClutchPoints' David Yapkowitz.
"There’s a lot of factors that go into the buyout market," Redick shared Monday evening.
"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."
Redick's view is not an unpopular one, as it's hard to find a player deserving of nightly burn on a competitive roster through the buyout market scene. Veterans waiting to make one last push for a title and injury-prone talents are usually the ones most available.
For example, it's unlikely that their general manager Rob Pelinka is itching to reunite with the franchise's former No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft Lonzo Ball, for example. As things currently stand, he's one of the premier players available.
With regard to Bufkin's full-time addition to the main NBA roster, Redick's positivity when speaking about the versatile 22-year-old was noteworthy.
"Kobe certainly earned a spot in the NBA with the way he’s played this year for us in South Bay," Redick said.
"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."
Along with 2022 Defensive Player of the Year winner Marcus Smart, the Lakers could use some more support on the perimeter for Dončić. Whether Bufkin can slide into that role in a postseason setting remains to be seen, but the potential is there.
The former No. 15 overall selection of the 2023 NBA Draft to the Atlanta Hawks developed into a superstar talent on both sides of the ball for the G-League's South Bay Lakers, averaging 27.7 points (75.0% true shooting percentage), 4.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks (0.5 defensive win shares) in 14 regular-season appearances.
Bufkin's development for South Bay certainly warranted a full-time, multi-year contract, and Redick seems confident that he possesses all of the right tools to impact winning for a hopeful contender.
More NBA: Kevin Durant’s first season in Houston: How his numbers compare to years past