The Brooklyn Nets were the butt of jokes after selecting three point guards in the first round of June's draft. Their subsequent trade for Atlanta Hawks guard Kobe Bufkin drew similar reactions within some NBA circles. However, entering year two of a rebuild, Brooklyn is swinging for upside wherever it can.
The Nets had a high grade on Bufkin in the 2023 draft, but didn't have a chance to select him. Previous scouting and a good word from assistant Juwan Howard, who coached Bufkin for two seasons at Michigan, convinced Brooklyn to take a chance on the young guard.
“I don't think you ever have enough ball handlers, right? Making plays for others is always important,” said head coach Jordi Fernande. “Obviously, [Juwan] knows [Kobe]… He speaks highly and positively about him. We also have our scouting department, who knew [Kobe]. We were very high on him during the draft, and this was an opportunity to bring him in. So you put all that together, and that's the reason why he's here.”
Bufkin showed promise during his sophomore season at Michigan, averaging 14.0 points and 2.9 assists on 48/38/85 shooting splits. However, he never got his career off the ground in Atlanta after the Hawks selected him 15th overall in 2023.
The 6-foot-4 guard missed extended time due to thumb and shoulder injuries during the last two seasons. When he did see the court, he struggled to score efficiently.
Aiming to create breathing room below the luxury tax with Dyson Daniels and Kristaps Porzingis extensions looming, Atlanta shipped Bufkin to Brooklyn for cash considerations.
Kobe Bufkin looking forward to fresh start with Nets after Hawks trade
Bufkin now gets a fresh start with a Nets regime that has had success with past reclamation projects, such as Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, and most recently, Ziaire Williams.
“[The trade] was something that I kinda could see coming with conversations I had with my [former] team. I didn't know how soon or when it may be or if it would actually happen, but I'm excited to be here and excited to get to work,” Bufkin said. “[Having Juwan here] is definitely a big level of comfort. Juwan is like family. I spent two years with him. He was kind of a mentor for me. He taught me about the league before I got to the league, what to expect, what not to expect. So, it was good to see him.”
Rookies Egor Demin, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf will compete for Brooklyn's point guard minutes at training camp. Bufkin views himself as a combo guard, capable of playing on and off the ball.
“We're trying to figure out [my position] together as an organization right now. I view myself as more of a combo [guard] who can do both and whatever coach or the organization asks me to do. So right now I'm just trying to fit the mold and maximize my potential,” he said. “I'm just [working on] different aspects of my game that I wasn't able to show in Atlanta due to injury and rotational minutes… Shooting, playmaking, decision-making, just expanding my role… Always focus on being a better defender. [As a] young guy, I have to be able to defend and learn how to defend everybody.”
