Nets take a chance on former first-rounder Kobe Bufkin in deal with Hawks

After drafting three point guards in the first round in June, the Nets added another first-round guard Monday when they traded for Kobe Bufkin.

They sent cash considerations to Atlanta for Bufkin, who was the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft. The news was confirmed by the Post.

Brooklyn — which sent the Hawks $110,000, per Hoopshype — was one of the few teams that could absorb Bufkin into cap space.

He’ll make $4.5 million this season, and they have until Oct. 31 to pick up a $6.9 million team option for 2026-27.

It marked a slight departure for Nets general manager Sean Marks, who has spent this offseason using his league-high cap space to garner draft picks by taking salary dumps.

This time he used it to grab a devalued young asset.

The Hawks needed roster flexibility, and Bufkin likely needed a fresh chance.

The 21-year-old was not only blocked in Atlanta by All-Star Trae Young, but was hindered by a couple of injuries that had limited him to just 27 NBA appearances through his first two seasons.

Now he comes to a Brooklyn team that has too many guards on paper, but not enough in practice.

The Nets drafted slick-passing Russian Egor Demin in the lottery, and followed up by picking fast Frenchman Nolan Traore and Israeli Ben Saraf later in the first round.

All are point guards, while leading scorer Cam Thomas is the starting shooting guard.

But all three lead guards are rookies, while Thomas’ future in Brooklyn is very much in doubt after he failed to reach a long-term extension and opted to play out the season on the qualifying offer.

While the 6-foot-4, 195-pound Bufkin had come up as an off-guard, he has shot a subpar .22 percent from 3-point range and struggled learning the point guard role as Young’s backup.

After shoulder surgery in January cut short his season, Bufkin got cleared for Summer League and was one of the best players in Las Vegas.

He excelled running the pick-and-roll, averaged 19.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists while getting to the charity stripe at will.

Bufkin earned seven free throws per game in Las Vegas and shot 96.4 percent. That also raises hopes that his 3-point shooting may be fixable.

But among the questions raised by the trade are: can Bufkin ever become a reliable shooter, can he stay healthy, and just how many lead ballhandlers do the Nets need?