The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to trade 2023 first-round pick Kobe Bufkin to the Brooklyn Nets, league sources confirmed to ClutchPoints on Monday afternoon.
The Nets are not sending back any draft assets to the Hawks and are instead trading cash considerations that equate to roughly $110,000 to Atlanta in exchange for Bufkin. This decision was made by the Hawks as a salary-balancing move, with Bufkin still having two more years left on his rookie contract.
Bufkin, the 15th-overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, struggled to remain healthy in Atlanta over his first two seasons. He played in just 27 games over the last two seasons, recently undergoing right shoulder stability surgery.
In his two seasons with the Hawks, Bufkin averaged 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 37.4 percent from the floor and 22.0 percent from 3-point range.
Details of this trade between the Hawks and Nets were first reported by ESPN.
The Hawks have been busy this offseason revamping their roster around All-Star point guard Trae Young.
Aside from pulling off a big trade for NBA champion big man Kristaps Porzingis, the Hawks also acquired Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard in free agency.
First-year general manager Onsi Saleh has been committed to turning his team into a real contending threat, and Atlanta has the makings of a team that can compete in the Eastern Conference during the 2025-26 NBA season.
After adding Alexander-Walker and evaluating Vit Krejci's successful year as a backup in the backcourt, the Hawks decided it was in their best interest to move on from Bufkin. Atlanta now has 13 players with standard contracts for the 2025-26 season and are about $15.7 million below the first apron after trading the young guard.
With extra luxury tax space now and looking ahead to the 2026-27 season, the Hawks can turn their attention to new contracts for Dyson Daniels and Porzingis.
Bufkin will now get a new chance to prove himself on a rebuilding team in Brooklyn.
The Nets have been making many roster moves this offseason in search of long-term potential. At a small cash price, the Nets are essentially buying Bufkin's contract for the 2025-26 season and absorbing his salary using their remaining cap space.
Brooklyn now has 19 players under contract after adding Bufkin in this trade with the Hawks, and will need to make decisions about Keon Johnson, Jalen Wilson, Drew Timme, and Tyrese Martin in training camp, all of whom don't have guaranteed contracts.
Bufkin will compete for minutes in the backcourt with Cam Thomas, Egor Demin, Ben Saraf, and Nolan Traore.
There is no inherited risk for the Nets in this trade, as they can decline the final year of Bufkin's contract should he not fit in with the team's philosophy during their rebuild.
