The Hawks and Nets have agreed to a trade that will send former first-round pick Kobe Bufkin from Atlanta to Brooklyn in exchange for cash considerations, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The Hawks will acquire $110K in cash, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
The 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Bufkin has battled injuries since entering the NBA. He missed a significant chunk of his rookie year due to a fractured left thumb and a sprained toe, then underwent season-ending shoulder surgery into December 2024, less than two months into his second season.
In total, the 6’4″ guard made just 27 appearances for the Hawks, averaging 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 11.9 minutes per night, with a .374/.220/.654 shooting line. Bufkin – who will turn 22 on Sunday – has more upside than he’s been able to show so far, so the Nets will take a chance on him in the hopes that he’ll have better health luck going forward.
Brooklyn has more than enough cap room to take on Bufkin’s $4.5MM salary for this season, which will push the team over the minimum salary floor, at least for now. His rookie scale contract also includes a $6.9MM team option for 2026/27 — the Nets will have to make a decision on that option by October 31.
While the Nets are in a good position to roll the dice on Bufkin from a salary cap perspective, adding him to the mix will exacerbate a looming roster crunch. Once the deal is official, Brooklyn will be carrying 15 players on guaranteed salaries and four on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed salaries. The team also intends to add Ricky Council IV to the latter group. A number of those players will have to be waived or traded in order for the Nets to set their 15-man regular season roster next month.
Brooklyn still has roughly $11.6MM in cap room for now, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, though the club could increase that figure by waiving some of those players with non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts. The Nets would be in danger of falling back below the minimum salary floor in that scenario and will want to make sure they’re above that threshold by opening night.
The Hawks, meanwhile, will generate a $4.5MM trade exception as a result of the deal, generating a little extra financial flexibility below the luxury tax line and opening up another roster spot for one of their camp invitees to compete for.
With Bufkin no longer in the mix, Atlanta will have just 10 players on fully guaranteed salaries, plus Vit Krejci and N’Faly Dante on partial guarantees, Mouhamed Gueye on a non-guaranteed contract, and Caleb Houstan, Charles Bassey, and Kobe Johnson on Exhibit 10 deals.
Good now let Houston go, Vit can play those minutes. Keep everyone else.
Sign a young PG prospect to develop and a veteran (30+) PG to help Trae when he is out
Hawks now have 13 on the roster so this increases the chances of Vit and Caleb both getting full guarantees.
BRING OUT YOUR BUSTS
BRING OUT YOUR BUSTS
So, I guess the Nets aren’t picking up any more picks with this one. I guess it’s understandable because the Nets need to reach the floor.
They’re taking a flier on a former 1st rounder
Vit should be a obvious guarantee. I just think Caleb doesn’t fit the team. He is redundant. They have two good young players at SG and SF already
They need PG help bad
Hawks can use a backup PG. Better veteran options available than Bufkin.
Presuming Westbrook isn’t an option:
Cam Payne
Delon Wright
Markelle Fultz
Cory Joseph
Dalano Banton
I think Payne makes the most sense as a pure backup to Trae. The others are just worse versions of what Nickeil Alexander-Walker will give them.
I’m guessing the Nets figure Juwan Howard can reach his talent since he coached him in Michigan.