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The New Orleans Pelicans have waived guard Kobe Bufkin, a former Los Angeles Lakers player, along with forward Jalon Moore, the team announced on Saturday. The moves bring the Pelicans' roster down to the standard regular-season limit ahead of the 2026-2027 NBA campaign.
Bufkin, 23, was originally selected 15th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. He signed a training camp contract with New Orleans in July 2026, aiming to earn a spot on the opening-day roster. Although he created significant buzz during the 2026 NBA Summer League—highlighted by a 30-point outburst in his Pelicans debut—he could not maintain that momentum through the preseason.
In three preseason appearances for New Orleans, Bufkin averaged 5.0 points and 1.0 rebound in limited minutes. Because his contract did not include Exhibit 10 G League protection language, he is expected to become a free agent immediately rather than joining the Pelicans' G League affiliate.
After spending his first two professional seasons with the Hawks, Bufkin found success with the Lakers' G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, where he averaged 26.7 points per game. That performance earned him a 10-day call-up to the Lakers' main roster in January 2026. Impressed by his potential, the Lakers signed the 6-foot-4 guard to a multi-year standard NBA contract in February 2026 to fill their final roster spot.
Bufkin appeared in 16 regular-season games for Los Angeles, averaging 2.9 points in 7.4 minutes per contest before being waived in April 2026 just before the regular-season finale.
Key Analysis
Bufkin credits his time with the Lakers for significant growth as a point guard, particularly from observing Luka Doncic and LeBron James. In an interview with RG's Grant Afseth, Bufkin said, "Obviously, I'm coming from the Lakers. So Bron, Luka, just paying attention to their process has been good for me. So yeah, I would say those two." He also mentioned learning from the Pelicans' Dejounte Murray, stating, "Dejounte would be one. I've learned a lot from DJ, even though I've only known DJ for about a month. But yeah, it's been a lot of good vets." Bufkin believes the game has slowed down for him, saying, "Really just reading the game. The game has slowed down a lot in my career. And knowing my role on the court and just being efficient at that role—knowing when to catch and shoot, that's the biggest one."
Now a free agent, Bufkin will explore opportunities across the broader basketball market. He can sign with any NBA team seeking backcourt depth or looking to add a former first-round pick to its developmental system.
Originally reported by yahoo.