The Atlanta Hawks and the Brooklyn Nets got together to work out for the ninth time on Monday afternoon. Two months after being part of the three-team Kristaps Porzingis blockbuster, the Nets and Hawks worked out a minor yet no less important deal that saw former first-round pick Kobe Bufkin head to Brooklyn.
How Does Kobe Bufkin Trade Affect Hawks and Nets Season Plans
Brooklyn picked up another young asset in Bufkin, who was the No. 15 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Like their trade for Haywood Highsmith, the Nets didn’t really give up anything of substance for a young guard who was seen as having two-way upside and someone who could score. As Michael Scotto of HoopHype detailed, the Nets sent the Hawks $110,000 to complete the transaction as the Nets used their cap space to absorb Bufkin’s salary. The Hawks also created a $4.5 million trade exception.
Bufkin is an athletic, talented guard with all the tools to be a valuable member of a quality team’s second unit. However, the 21-year-old has struggled to stay healthy. He has only appeared in 27 NBA career games, averaging 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists with splits of 37.4/22.0/65.4.
Bufkin showed growth in the summer league for the Hawks, but struggled to shoot the ball. Bufkin topped the 20-point plateau twice and averaged 19.5 points per contest, though he needed 15 shots to do so. He also rebounded the ball well and was okay as a facilitator of the offense. However, fouls were an issue.
What does the Trade of Bufkin mean for the Hawks?
Despite his upside, cutting bait with Bufkin was a pretty shrewd move for Atlanta. According to Grant Afseth of RG.org, the Hawks had rebuffed overtures for the 6-4 guard earlier this year, but changed their mind after Las Vegas summer league action.
“Summer League was Bufkin’s first legitimate five-on-five action since undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in December,” Afseth said. “He averaged 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in four games, highlighted by a 29-point outing against Miami and a 25-point performance against Houston. He shot 35.5% from the floor and 25.9% from beyond the arc, but converted at a 96.4% clip on free throws while attempting 7.0 per game.”
Afseth said that Indiana was another team monitoring what the Hawks would do with Bufkin. The Pacers won’t have Tyrese Haliburton this year, which is a hit to their backcourt depth.
By moving Bufkin, the Hawks gave themselves a lot of flexibility and eased their crowded backcourt. In addition to acquiring Porzingis, the Hawks signed Nickeil Alexander-Walker to a four-year, $60 million deal and veteran Luke Kennard to a one-year contract. al
Afseth noted the plan is to have Alexander-Walker and Kennard handle more ball-handling responsibilities when either Dyson Daniels or Trae Young is on the bench. 25-year-old Vit Krejci, who had a career season and is an outstanding shooter, had overtaken Bufkin on the depth chart last season, and rookie Nikola Djurisic is also on the 15-man roster.
Atlanta has 13 players on standard contracts, though only 10 are on fully guaranteed deals. More importantly, by not taking back any salary in the Bufkin trade, the Hawks are now nearly $8 million under the luxury tax. They are also $16 million below the first apron, where they are hard-capped.
What Do The Hawks Need?
Atlanta will need to add a player to the standard deal before the start of the season. The Hawks could use a veteran big man, but they may wait until teams finalize their roster before signing or making a trade. It is also conceivable that the Hawks sign an in-house guy and make a trade in-season.
Atlanta has accounted for 20 of its allotted 21 training camp spots. The Hawks also have all three of their two-way spots filled with Keaton Wallace, Jacob Toppin, and Eli John Ndiaye. Ndiaye is a project, but Wallace and Toppin have shown that they can be at least end-of-bench NBA players.
While it is conceivable that Wallace and Toppin earn a standard deal, it is more likely that the 14th spot will come down to Caleb Houstan or Charles Bassey. Houstan and Bassey are among four players signed to an Exhibit 10 deal with Kobe Johnson and Lamont Butler being the others. Butler’s inclusion is a reported deal.
Houstan has spent the last three seasons in and out of Orlando’s rotation. Houstan has improved as a shooter and defender throughout his short NBA career. The 22-year-old versatile forward can guard all five positions and made 1.1 treys a game while shooting 40% from deep last season.
Bassey has been injured throughout his NBA career. But the 6-10 center has been productive when he has been healthy. He excels around the rim on both ends, is a fantastic rebounder, and shot-blocker.
How Does Bufkin’s Trade Impact The Nets?
Brooklyn continues to add assets. Despite not getting draft capital in this deal, Bufkin could really be a valuable addition to the Nets. He is still young, with a wealth of potential, and is on a relatively inexpensive contract. The Nets have until the end of next month to decide whether to exercise his fourth-year option at $6.9 million.
Even before acquiring Bufkin, Brooklyn’s roster was completely imbalanced. Bufkin’s arrival means that 10 of the 21 players on the Nets training camp roster are guards. Eight of those guards can play the point.
The Nets waived David Muoka to make room for Bufkin on the roster. Muoka, a 6-10 center from Hong Kong, signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets on September 15. Muoka spent last season with the G League’s Windy City Bulls, where he was assigned to the Nets’ affiliate in Long Island, and will play in the 2023-24 season.
What Will The Nets Do Next?
Brooklyn has 19 players, including 15 with fully guaranteed contracts, on standard deals with a salary cap hit of approximately $142.5 million. With Bufkin’s salary on the books, the Nets are projected to hit the salary cap floor of just over $139.8 million. Now, they no longer have to worry about who to keep and who to release, as was previously the case due to the number of players not on fully guaranteed contracts.
Even with the current state of their roster, the Nets aren’t done making moves. They reportedly still have agreements with Ricky Council IV and Grant Nelson, although those are not yet finalized.
Council IV is expected to make the roster; however, with the Nets having a two-way spot, the deal may be two-way. Meanwhile, Nelson will likely be headed to Long Island once he signs his Exhibit 10 deal and gets waived.
Keon Johnson and Jalen Wilson have partially guaranteed deals. Meanwhile, Drew Timme and Tyrese Martin have nonguaranteed pacts. While the Nets could make more trades, don’t expect that to happen until the regular season begins, unless it is a minor deal. If a trade doesn’t occur, it appears that Dariq Whitehead, Johnson, and Wilson are the odd men out, especially if Council IV signs a standard deal.
Timme will also likely be on the 15-man roster, though he could sign a two-way deal with the Nets if they waive him and another team doesn’t claim him. Martin could compete for a roster spot in training camp.
Bufkin, Ziaire Williams, Haywood Highsmith, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Cam Thomas could all be moved before the NBA’s trade deadline.
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