With Summer League now complete, NBA teams are finalising their rosters ahead of the 2026-27 season, including the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers recently rewarded second-year forward Arthur Kaluma with a two-way contract following his standout performances throughout the summer.
To make room, undrafted guard Peter Suder was waived from his two-way deal. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Suder will now “explore his options.”
Meanwhile, several former members of the Lakers organization are continuing their search for the next chapter of their careers.
Lakers G League Standout Attracting Fresh NBA Interest
One of those players is guard Kobe Bufkin, who established himself as one of the South Bay Lakers’ standout performers during the 2025-26 G League season.
His production earned him a 10-day contract with the Lakers from January 13 to January 23.
Although Los Angeles opted not to sign him to a second 10-day deal, instead returning him to South Bay, Bufkin later secured a two-year standard NBA contract that included a team option for the 2026-27 season.
That opportunity proved short-lived, however, as the Lakers waived him before the playoffs.
Since then, there has been growing intrigue surrounding Bufkin’s future, particularly after emerging as one of the most accomplished young guards available outside the NBA.
The 22-year-old joined the New Orleans Pelicans for Summer League, appearing in three games in Las Vegas.
Across those appearances, he averaged 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 block while shooting 45.2% from the field and 31.8% from three-point range.
Bufkin wasted little time making an impression, exploding for 30 points in the opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He shot 8-of-16 from the field, knocked down five three-pointers, and added four rebounds, six assists, and five steals despite New Orleans falling 105-92.
It was another reminder of the two-way ability that made him one of the G League’s premier guards last season.
Pelicans Could Offer Bufkin Another NBA Opportunity
Bufkin was held out of New Orleans’ remaining Summer League games, but the decision appears to have been a positive one rather than a setback.
The Pelicans have since filled one of their remaining two-way spots by signing second-round pick Jaron Pierre Jr., leaving just one opening available.
Bufkin is now widely expected to be the leading candidate for that final two-way contract, potentially securing his next NBA opportunity in the process.
His case is backed by an outstanding 2025-26 campaign with South Bay, where he averaged 24.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and just under one block across 24 appearances.
He also shot an efficient 50.8% from the field and an outstanding 42.3% from beyond the arc on seven attempts per game.
Bufkin topped the 40-point mark three times and established himself among the G League’s elite scorers, while his defensive production further highlighted his value as a legitimate two-way prospect.
His opportunities with the Lakers never reflected that level of production. Across 16 NBA appearances, he logged just 119 total minutes while averaging 2.9 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.6 assists.
A return to South Bay on a standard G League contract also appeared increasingly unlikely after the season he produced, with little left for him to prove at that level.
If Bufkin does begin the 2026-27 campaign with the Birmingham Squadron, New Orleans’ G League affiliate, the Pelicans would first need to acquire his returning G League rights from the Lakers, a routine offseason transaction that regularly takes place around the league.
Regardless of how the process unfolds, the Pelicans appear to be closing in on one of the G League’s most talented young guards, and a player who looks well positioned to earn another opportunity at the NBA level.
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