Former Atlanta Hawks first round pick Kobe Bufkin was cut by the Brooklyn Nets over the weekend, just weeks after being traded for cash. While this is a gloomy disposition for Bufkin, he will earn another chance in the NBA. As Esfandiar Baraheni of The Athletic said best, “There are Bufkin believers everywhere if you look hard enough.”
A natural place for Bufkin to prove his contribution to a winning basketball team would be the Detroit Pistons, a franchise that experienced an unexpected rebirth last season. The franchise jumped from 14 to 44 wins in just one season, vaulting them from 15th to 6th in the Eastern Conference.
Part of the magic behind Detroit’s unlikely playoff push was its brilliance at the guard position. Behind star Cade Cunningham was Malik Beasley, one of the hottest shooters in the league last season, and Jaden Ivey, an electrifying young scorer. This three-headed monster was unstoppable when healthy and managed to survive Ivey’s extended absence due to injury last season.
The Pistons no longer have this strength, at least not at the moment. Ivey has injured himself again, and it is uncertain whether Beasley will be permitted to play in the NBA this season, or ever, after a federal investigation into the sharpshooter was launched over allegations of point shaving. While Beasley was cleared as a suspect by federal authorities, the NBA is conducting its own internal investigation before allowing Beasley to play.
This leaves Detroit with a guard rotation of Cunningham, former Hawk Caris LeVert, and Marcus Sasser to start the season. While these players have talent in a vacuum, there is a clear lack of defense and depth. Detroit also has one roster spot remaining after training camp.
Would Bufkin solve Detroit’s problems?
Bufkin is a largely unproven NBA player, having played just 27 games in his two-year career. It would be unfair to ask Bufkin to be a real playoff contributor for the Pistons, but he could give the team the spark they need to survive Ivey’s absence with a respectable record.
Bufkin would likely be the worst guard in Detroit’s rotation, but he would give the team a different skill set to deploy in their rotation. Sasser has the talent to be a quality defender, but he hasn’t quite shown that ability in the big leagues due to his limited size. Bufkin has the size advantage over Sasser and could be used as a bench point of attack defender.
While Bufkin likely wouldn’t be a long-term fixture in Detroit’s lineup, the former Hawk could have the first chance of his career to play alongside a playoff-caliber roster.