Nets acquire Kobe Bufkin from Hawks for cash considerations

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired guard Kobe Bufkin from the Atlanta Hawks for cash considerations, the teams announced Monday, adding a former first-round pick to a Brooklyn roster deep in transition. ESPN reporter Shams Charania first reported the trade, which comes as the Nets prepare for training camp that opens Sept. 24.

The Hawks received cash for Bufkin, with reports specifying the amount as $110,000, according to HoopsHype and other outlets. The move also generated a roughly $4.5 million trade exception for Atlanta, according to Spotracs. Brooklyn will absorb Bufkin's rookie-scale deal, which pays about $4.5 million this season and includes a $6.9 million team option for 2026-27 that the Nets must decide on by Oct. 31.

Bufkin, the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Michigan, arrives in Brooklyn after two injury-affected seasons in Atlanta. He has played in just 27 NBA games, compiling career averages near five points, two rebounds and 1.6 assists while struggling for efficiency. He missed substantial time as a rookie with a fractured left thumb and a sprained toe, then underwent season-ending right shoulder surgery in December 2024. After being cleared, he posted...