Nets acquire Kobe Bufkin to deepen guard rotation and add playmaking

Brooklyn has acquired guard Kobe Bufkin in a move designed to deepen its guard rotation and add another ball-handler to a rebuilding roster. The Nets have been active in adding playmakers this offseason, including drafting three point guards in June, and Bufkin—a former first-round pick who went No. 15 to Atlanta in 2023—gives them a fourth option at the position. The team is betting that the combination of Bufkin’s upside and a multi-guard approach can provide Brooklyn with the kind of playmaking versatility it has been pursuing, even as it rebuilds around a younger core.

Bufkin played college basketball at Michigan for coach Juwan Howard, a connection that quietly influenced Brooklyn’s interest. Brooklyn was aware of Bufkin in the 2023 draft cycle, but he went six spots ahead of Brooklyn’s pick at No. 15 with the Hawks. He appeared in 27 games over two seasons in Atlanta before shoulder surgery ended his year in December. The Nets pursued Bufkin for cash after Indiana also showed interest; Brooklyn’s front office and coaching staff believed Bufkin could fit into a guard platoon alongside rookies Egor Dëmin, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf. “I don’t think you ever have enough ball handlers, right? Making plays for others is always important,” Nets coach Jordi Fernández said after the trade, explaining the strategic fit. “We also have our scouting department that knew [him] … and we were very high on him during the draft, and it was an opportunity to bring him in. So you put all that together, and that’s the reason why he’s here.”

Bufkin’s transition to Brooklyn has already carried an informal mentorship effect, with Howard serving as a bridge between Bufkin and his new surroundings. Bufkin admitted Howard’s presence has helped him ease into Brooklyn’s system. “It’s definitely a big level of comfort. [Howard] is like family,” Bufkin said. “I spent two years with him. He was a mentor for me, kind of 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.”

The guard’s journey to Brooklyn is underscored by his summer league performance, where he averaged 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game as he looked to translate college success into a pro-ready game. That production, plus the Nets’ belief in Bufkin’s ability to run an offense and create for teammates, stood out to a franchise built around developing young players and building a sustainable, versatile rotation.

The contractual math of Bufkin’s addition is a focal point for Brooklyn. He enters a guard group that could include a mix of development-time players and veterans, with his 2026-27 team option estimated at $6.9 million looming if the Nets choose to exercise it. In the short term, Brooklyn will be paying Bufkin about $4.5 million this season, a figure the franchise considered manageable given his potential ceiling and the value of a reliable ball-handler. “This is a home run for the Nets,” The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie said on the podcast Game Theory, noting that Brooklyn can accept Bufkin’s current salary while evaluating the longer-term decision on the option next year and seeing how the fit plays out on the floor.

“We were very high on him during the draft, and it was an opportunity to bring him in,” Fernández reiterated, stressing that the move aligns with Brooklyn’s plan to maximize guard depth. As Bufkin acclimates to Brooklyn’s system, Howard’s familiarity and the Nets’ internal scouting corroborate the fit, providing a smoother transition for a player who is still early in his pro career. Bufkin’s early impression of life in Brooklyn has already been positive, and the organization believes his skill set can be integrated quickly into a guard-heavy rotation that can adapt to different lineups and pace.

Bufkin’s arrival arrives alongside other injury and return timelines that shape the Nets’ early-season expectations. Drake Powell has been in non-contact portions of practice as he works back from knee tendinopathy, with Fernández noting that Powell is advancing toward contact. Egor Dëmin, who has dealt with a plantar fascia tear, is not yet as close to return but is following the same prudent rehabilitation process. The Nets have emphasized a careful return-to-play approach to avoid any lingering issues that could derail the team’s longer-term plans.

Beyond the playing floor, the Nets organization continues to emphasize its Brooklyn roots and community commitments. BSE Global, the parent company of the Nets and Liberty, opened the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center as part of a broader effort to invest in regional infrastructure and youth development. Sam Zussman, BSE Global’s chief executive, spoke about the franchise’s ties to the borough, stressing the importance of belonging and fan engagement alongside on-court performance. “We’re a resident of Brooklyn. On the Brooklyn Nets side, the borough’s name is on our jersey,” Zussman said. “We feel a sense of commitment and belonging here. And on the other hand, we don’t exist without our fans.”

For Brooklyn, Bufkin’s addition is less about an immediate breakout than about the strategic long game: diversify guard options, add a ball-handler who can operate in pick-and-roll, and provide a developmental pathway that could bear fruit as the young core matures. The decision to bring Bufkin in, anchored by Howard’s mentorship, esteems the Nets’ growing emphasis on playmaking and versatility as the backbone of a competitive, sustainable rebuild. If Bufkin can translate his summer league performance into sustained NBA contributions and grow within Fernández’s system, Brooklyn’s guard depth could become a meaningful differentiator as the season unfolds.

Image highlights from the week show Bufkin in Nets gear meeting with reporters and teammates as he begins to integrate into the rotation, while Fernández continues to shape the program and its guard development strategy.

As Brooklyn weighs its timetable and the value of its veteran and young assets, Bufkin’s pathway will be watched closely by fans and analysts who have followed the Nets’ efforts to blend upside with practical roster construction. The organization’s emphasis on ball-handling depth and on-court decision-making remains a central tenet of the rebuild, and Bufkin’s arrival adds another piece to that ongoing equation. With Howard in his corner and a front office that already identified him as a player of interest two years earlier, Bufkin’s development will be an early litmus test for how quickly Brooklyn can translate potential into productive minutes and meaningful wins over the course of a season that will test the franchise’s patience and perseverance.

Image near the end to contextualize Bufkin’s presence in Brooklyn:

Jordi Fernández spoke to the media several times over the week to emphasize the Nets’ intent to build a sustainable guard rotation, highlighting how Bufkin’s arrival fits with a wider strategy of developing homegrown talent and making the most of the organization’s guard depth. The Nets’ approach remains iterative—balancing present needs with future upside—as they navigate a season that will test their young players, medical staff, coaching staff, and front office’s ability to execute a coherent, long-term plan.

As Bufkin acclimates to his new team, the Nets will continue to monitor the health trajectories of Powell and Dëmin and will evaluate how Bufkin’s presence can be leveraged within the rotation. The early signs point to a player who can contribute as a secondary creator and facilitator, potentially easing pressure on the team’s primary ball-handlers while offering a developmental track in a system designed to maximize ball movement and decision-making. If the arrangement works, Brooklyn could emerge with a guard group that is greater than the sum of its parts, capable of generating offense through multiple creators and sustaining depth over the course of a demanding NBA schedule.