Shams: The Lakers will sign Kobe Buffkin to a two-year contract, with a team option for next season.
2026-02-08 08:16
According to ESPN's Shams Charania on Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers will sign Kobe Buffkin to a two-year, team-option contract for the 2026/27 season.
Kobe Bavkin, 22, is a 6'6" (1.93m) and 88kg (48kg) guard who will enter the NBA in 2023 as the 15th overall pick in the first round. So far this season, he has played 7 games for the Lakers' G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, averaging 28.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.0 steal per game, with a 49.6% field goal percentage and a 43.1% three-point percentage.
However, Bavkin is not without NBA experience. In January of this year, after signing a ten-day contract, he played four regular-season games for the Lakers, averaging 3.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 0.3 steals in 11.3 minutes per game, with a field goal percentage of 36.4% and a three-point percentage of 28.6%.
Besides the Lakers, Buffkin also played 27 games for the Atlanta Hawks, averaging 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 11.9 minutes per game. He also joined the Memphis Grizzlies on a 10-day contract last November, but never got a chance to play.
With Buffkin's contract being extended to a permanent position, the Lakers' 15 roster spots are now full. With Austin Reeves sidelined due to injury, Buffkin is expected to compete with Nick Smith Jr. for playing time.
Image source: Internet
