Lakers sign 22-year-old G-League superstar to help Luka Doncic win first title

The Los Angeles Lakers’ roster is finally filled following a recent signing. 

On Sunday morning, the Lakers signed a 22-year-old G-League superstar to help Luka Doncic as he attempts to win the first title of his career.

“The Los Angeles Lakers are signing guard Kobe Bufkin to a two-year deal, with a team option for the 2026-27 season,” ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Sunday morning. “Bufkin has starred for L.A.'s South Bay affiliate and now rejoins the Lakers in his third NBA season to fill their 15th roster spot.”

After spending the first two seasons of his career with the Atlanta Hawks, the franchise that selected him with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Bufkin joined the South Bay Lakers (Los Angeles’ G-League affiliate) for the 2025-26 season. 

Although the Michigan product hasn’t found his footing in the big leagues (he’s averaging 4.7 points per game on 37.3% field goal shooting and 22.7% three-point shooting in 31 total NBA games), he’s emerged as a standout G-League contributor. 

Bufkin is contributing 27.7 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game with South Bay this season. Of course, Bufkin must prove he can have a similar impact with the big dogs if he wants to help get his NBA career back on track. 

However, his stellar play in the minor leagues makes him an intriguing asset, to say the least.

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