Things just went from bad to worse for former Atlanta Hawks draft pick and projected key reserve Kobe Bufkin. The No. 15 overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, Bufkin missed the first 14 games of the 2024-25 regular season with a shoulder subluxation.
He returned to the lineup and made nine straight appearances. But he has played in just one of the last four outings.
What appeared to be a coaching decision based on performance, was clearly something more.
“An @emoryhealthcare injury update: After continued evaluation and additional medical opinions, guard Kobe Bufkin and the Hawks have determined that Bufkin will undergo surgery to address right shoulder instability on January 7, 2025, the Hawks announced in a post on X on December 18.
“He will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season and is expected to make a full recovery for the 2025-26 season.”
Bufkin averaged 5.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 10 appearances.
Bufkin was notably not on the injury report for the Hawks’ Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. He did not play in the game, though, finishing as a DNP-CD (did not play-coach’s decision).
The injury occurred during practice on the eve of the Hawks’ NBA 2K25 Summer League opener. His return to the lineup provided a glimpse of what he can do when healthy.
That has not been the case often enough, though.
Bufkin appeared in 17 games as a rookie, though he also played in 14 games with the College Park Skyhawks in the G League. There, Bufkin posted a 23.6/5.9/5.4 line with 1.3 steals per game and a .446/.356/.829 slash.
Injuries kept him from getting work with CPS this season, and from asserting himself as Trae Young’s top backup.
Bufkin was drafted into a speculative reality.
He profiled as a potential replacement for Dejounte Murray, who was ultimately traded this past offseason. But the emergence of Dyson Daniels softened the blow of not having Bufkin available to fight for that role.
The Hawks have also gotten by with a combination of playmakers without a true backup point guard, though that has been a suggested position to target in a trade.
Hawks passed on several productive youngsters to select Kobe Bufkin
Bufkin’s career arc is taking an ominous turn, which is compounded by the list of players the Hawks passed on for his two-way potential. Bufkin was never great as a shooter and that has continued with his limited playing time in the NBA.
13 of the players selected after him in Round 1 have made more career appearances.
Of those, 10 have doubled the Hawks youngster up in games played. Among the contributing youngsters selected shortly after him in the first round, promising Utah Jazz point guard Keyonte George, who was taken one pick after Bufkin.
George earned Second Team All-Rookie honors and is a starter this year.
Now, that might not have happened at point guard with Young around. But George is listed at 6-foot-4 just like Bufkin.
The Hawks also passed on a pair of All-Rookie First Teamers in Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat and Brandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors, both of whom could have slotted in alongside Young either in the starting lineup or in blended units.
Atlanta has to hope Bufkin does not end up like AJ Griffin.
Albeit for different reasons entirely, Griffin fell out of favor in Atlanta, got traded to the Houston Rockets during the offseason, and then stepped away from basketball to pursue ministry.
Before him, though, was Cam Reddish, who went from looking like an exciting potential X-factor like Bufkin seemed to be coming into the season to a player now on his fourth team in six seasons.