Kobe Bufkin’s next NBA opportunity has arrived after the Los Angeles Lakers‘ offseason overhaul left little room for another young guard.
The former Lakers guard agreed to a one-year contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, veteran NBA insider Michael Scotto of Hoopshype reported Friday on X, rewarding an impressive Summer League performance with a fresh NBA opportunity.
“The New Orleans Pelicans and Kobe Bufkin have agreed to a one-year deal,” Scotto wrote. “Bufkin was the 15th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft. He’s spent the past three seasons with the Hawks and Lakers. He averaged 21.3 points in Summer League with the Pelicans.”
For Bufkin, the deal represents another chance to revive the promise that made him a lottery pick after his stint in Los Angeles ended amid one of the NBA’s busiest offseasons.
Kobe Bufkin Earned Another NBA Opportunity
Bufkin entered Summer League needing to prove he belonged on an NBA roster.
The 22-year-old answered emphatically.
He averaged 21.3 points for New Orleans, showcasing the shot-making and downhill scoring ability that made him the No. 15 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft.
His best performance came July 9 in a 105-92 Summer League loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bufkin erupted for 30 points on 8-for-16 shooting, including 5-for-9 from 3-point range, while adding six rebounds, two assists and one block in 32 minutes.
Even in a quieter outing against Phoenix on July 12, he finished with 15 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block.
Taken together, the performances convinced the Pelicans that the former first-round pick deserved another opportunity.
Lakers’ Crowded Backcourt Closed the Door
Bufkin’s Summer League breakout wasn’t an isolated hot streak.
Before joining New Orleans, he put together an outstanding season with the South Bay Lakers in the G League, averaging 24.8 points, 4.4 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks while starting 14 of 17 games. Perhaps most encouraging was his development as a perimeter shooter, as he connected on 41.9% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Despite that production, the Lakers’ roster simply became too crowded.
Los Angeles enters the 2026-27 season with one of the league’s deepest backcourts, led by Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves after adding Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Matisse Thybulle in free agency. Bronny James also remained in the team’s plans after his salary for the upcoming season became guaranteed before LeBron James informed the organization of his decision to leave.
With so many guards competing for minutes, Bufkin became an unfortunate casualty of the Lakers’ roster crunch rather than a player who failed to develop.
Fresh Start With Pelicans
Bufkin spent his first two NBA seasons with the Atlanta Hawks before joining the Lakers during the 2025-26 campaign.
Across 43 career regular-season games between Atlanta and Los Angeles, he averaged 4.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 10.4 minutes per game.
While injuries and inconsistent opportunities limited his NBA production, his G League dominance and Summer League resurgence reminded evaluators why he was once viewed as one of the draft’s more intriguing young guards.
Now, the Pelicans are betting that sustained development can translate to the NBA.
For the Lakers, Bufkin’s departure reflects the reality of a roster built to contend immediately. For Bufkin, it offers something equally important: a clean slate with a franchise that can provide the consistent opportunity he never found in Los Angeles.
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