LOS ANGELES - On Tuesday afternoon, The Los Angeles Lakers announced that they are signing shooting guard Kobe Bufkin to a 10-day contract.
The 22-year-old has spent the majority of this season with the Lakers G-League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, outside of a 10-day stint with the Memphis Grizzlies in November.
Bufkin has starred for South Bay this season, averaging 26.7 points on 50/40/90 shooting, along with 4.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
The addition comes at a great time for a Laker team that is missing its second leading scorer in Austin Reaves, who was averaging a career high 26.6 points before re-aggravating a Grade 2 calf strain in late December.
Outside of Luka Doncic and Reaves, the Lakers have lacked depth at the guard position this season, with Marcus Smart and Gabe Vincent yet to step up in a prominent role. Nick Smith Jr, another South Bay call-up, has gotten more of an opportunity recently, with he and Bufkin now likely to be competing for those crucial bench guard spots.
As for South Bay, losing Bufkin’s consistency for the time being will certainly be felt, for a team that has already had to adapt to having six other players back and forth between the two teams this season.
Two-way contract guys Drew Timme, Nick Smith Jr and Chris Mañon, as well as call-ups Bronny James Jr, Adou Thiero and Dalton Knecht have all given the squad momentary boosts before being called back up, leaving South Bay with holes to fill both offensively and defensively.
R.J. Davis, Chris Mañon and Tevian Jones will likely carry the brunt of the offensive fire power going forward as long as the rest of South Bay’s stars are with the parent team.
As for Bufkin though, a former first round pick out of Michigan only a few seasons ago, he has earned this chance, and will now have the opportunity to showcase his scoring and playmaking abilities, as well as his gritty defensive efforts, on the highest stage possible.
With 10 days to try and prove himself to the Lakers front office, Bufkin will get to work immediately, as the Lakers take on the Atlanta Hawks tonight at 7:00 p.m. at Crypto.com arena.