Nets acquire former first-round guard Kobe Bufkin from Hawks for cash

The Brooklyn Nets acquired former first-round pick Kobe Bufkin from the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, sending cash considerations to Atlanta in a move confirmed by the New York Post. The Nets are reported to have paid $110,000 for Bufkin, who was the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft.

Bufkin will earn $4.5 million this season, and Brooklyn has until Oct. 31 to decide whether to exercise a $6.9 million team option for 2026-27. The trade marked a change in approach for Nets general manager Sean Marks, who has largely used the franchise's league-high cap space this offseason to acquire draft assets via salary dumps; this acquisition brings in a devalued young player with some upside rather than picks.

Brooklyn's backcourt picture on paper has become crowded. The Nets used three first-round picks in June on point guards — lottery selection Egor Demin and later Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf — while Cam Thomas remains the presumptive starting shooting guard but has not secured a long-term contract after choosing to play on his qualifying offer. Although the roster now lists multiple lead guards, the club's experienced options at primary ballhandler remain limited, a factor that likely contributed to Brooklyn's interest in Bufkin.

Bufkin, 21, was blocked in Atlanta by All-Star Trae Young and saw his early career hampered by injuries that limited him to 27 NBA appearances in his first two seasons. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, he emerged as an off-guard in college but was asked to learn point-guard duties with the Hawks, a transition that produced mixed results. His 3-point shooting in the NBA has been poor, roughly in the low 20s percentage-wise, raising questions about whether he can become a reliable perimeter threat.

After undergoing shoulder surgery in January that ended his season, Bufkin was cleared to play in the 2025 NBA Summer League and produced one of the stronger individual showings in Las Vegas. He averaged 19.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists while getting to the free-throw line frequently; he averaged about seven free-throw attempts per game and converted at a 96.4 percent clip in the showcase. Nets officials likely view that Summer League performance as evidence that his scoring instincts and pick-and-roll playmaking can translate if his shooting and health trends improve.

The trade itself required minimal financial outlay from Brooklyn beyond Bufkin's salary and the small cash payment, and the organization was one of the few teams able to absorb that contract because of its available cap space. Atlanta, meanwhile, gained roster flexibility by shedding a contract and may have been motivated by injuries and a surplus of guards behind Young.

Questions remain about how Bufkin will fit with a Nets group that has invested heavily in young lead guards. Those rookies will enter training camp with the opportunity to compete for ballhandling roles, while Bufkin brings two years of NBA experience and a Summer League spike that could accelerate his path to regular minutes if he stays healthy and improves as an outside shooter. The Nets must also weigh the decision on Bufkin’s 2026-27 team option by the end of October.

Coaching staff evaluations during training camp and preseason games will determine whether Bufkin can carve out a role as a secondary playmaker or wing scorer in Brooklyn's rotation. For the Nets, the move is a relatively low-risk swing on a former lottery pick that offers potential reward if his recovery from injury and shooting development continue along the lines shown in Las Vegas.