Pelicans Extend Training Camp Offer to Guard Kobe Bufkin
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NEW ORLEANS — Free-agent guard Kobe Bufkin has accepted a one-year training camp contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, league sources told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Bufkin, 22, will enter camp competing for one of the club’s remaining roster spots, The Athletic’s Will Guillory reported. New Orleans currently carries 14 players on standard deals and holds an open two-way slot, for which Bufkin remains eligible because he has logged just three NBA seasons.
The Michigan product impressed the Pelicans during the recently concluded Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists across three appearances.
Bufkin split last season with two organizations. He joined the Los Angeles Lakers on a 10-day contract on January 13, secured a standard deal on February 8, and appeared in 16 games before being waived on April 10. He averaged 2.9 points in 7.4 minutes while shooting 30 percent from the field and 19.2 percent from beyond the arc. Earlier in the season, he signed a 10-day pact with the Memphis Grizzlies but did not see game action.
Originally drafted 15th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2023, Bufkin saw the floor in 27 total games over two seasons before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets last summer. Brooklyn released him after preseason, prompting a stint with the South Bay Lakers, where he earned All-NBA G League Second Team honors.
The Pelicans will evaluate Bufkin during camp as the club finalizes its roster for the upcoming campaign.
Source: HoopsRumors
