"With each passing year, it's pretty clear just how cutthroat the NBA world can be, especially when it comes to roster turnover. One moment, a player seems like a key piece for the team's future, and the next, they're fighting just to keep or find an NBA spot - like I highlighted recently with ex-Raptor Precious Achiuwa - or they're quietly traded to another team without much fanfare."
"And there's no better example of this than the Atlanta Hawks' recent move, where they traded Kobe Bufkin - their 15th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft - to the Brooklyn Nets for some cash considerations. Bufkin never really hit his stride during a brief stint in Atlanta, playing in just 27 games for the main roster over two seasons."
"Bufkin entered the league after playing two years at Michigan, where he was seen as a versatile combo-guard with potential going into the 2023 NBA Draft. During that draft, the same one where Toronto picked Gradey Dick at 13th overall, I was also watching prospects like Bufkin, along with Keyonte George and Jalen Hood-Schifino, because the Raptors really needed more guard depth. Of course, Toronto ended up with Dick and Bufkin headed to Atlanta, just outside the lottery."
NBA roster turnover remains intense and unpredictable. The Atlanta Hawks traded 2023 15th pick Kobe Bufkin to the Brooklyn Nets for cash after a limited two-season stint. Bufkin appeared in only 27 Hawks games and struggled to solidify a role. Bufkin played two years at Michigan and entered the draft as a versatile combo-guard with perceived potential. The 2023 draft included Gradey Dick at 13 and other guards like Keyonte George and Jalen Hood-Schifino. Two years later, only Keyonte George and Gradey Dick are making notable NBA impacts. Toronto reportedly retained interest in Bufkin amid Pascal Siakam trade talks, and the Hawks may have misjudged Bufkin's trade value during those negotiations.
Read at Raptors Rapture
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]