Today, the Atlanta Hawks have decided to move on from third-year guard Kobe Bufkin in a move that surprised many. The decision to spend a top-15 pick in the 2023 NBA draft on the Michigan guard was a move that could have given the Hawks their backup point guard of the future. However, it is clear that general manager Onsi Saleh and his re-tooled front office does not see Bufkin as that player. The Hawks now have an open roster spot with almost a month to go before the NBA season begins.

Atlanta didn’t get anything of significance in this move – they clear up some cap space and received cash considerations from the Nets. Even so, it’s interesting that the Hawks prioritized the open roster spot over what Bufkin could have given them this season. Bufkin’s $4.5 million dollar salary for 2025-26 is off their books and they should be up to around $12 million in cap space under the tax line. It’s worth noting that Atlanta is hard-capped at the first apron because they used more than the taxpayer portion ($5,685,000.00) of their mid-level exception to sign Luke Kennard.

From an on-court perspective, it’s hard to honestly say they’re suffering a massive loss. That isn’t because Bufkin is inherently a net-negative on the court. He had flashes of being a solid defender throughout his time with the Hawks, perhaps best encapsulated by a respectable defensive performance against Kyrie Irving when Irving was the second option for a Mavericks team that made the 2024 Finals.

The factor that likely caused the Hawks to opt for the cap space as opposed to having Bufkin on the roster was his inability to stay on the court. He’s played in a combined 27 games in the two years since he’s been drafted. Furthermore, his offensive game has been slow to develop due to his injuries. He’s a career 22% shooter from deep and even in Summer League, his best games were the result of him taking a lot of shots. His playmaking never really developed either – his AST% of 22.1% was in the 25th percentile last season.

In terms of what this means for Atlanta, it opens up room to go in several interesting directions. One potential option would be to sign a veteran guard to that roster spot as a direct replacement for Bufkin. A name like Cam Payne might make sense – he’s had good moments in the past two seasons for the 76ers and Knicks. He’s not the best defender, but he can occasionally catch fire off the bench as a scorer and has enough experience to run the offense in a backup guard capacity. They can also sign another forward to insulate themselves against a Jalen Johnson injury. Former Blazers forward Dalano Banton is a intriguing candidate for this role. Last season, Banton averaged 8.3 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.0 rebounds while shooting an inefficient 39.1% from the field and 32.2% from deep. He was a sparkplug off the bench who gave them some good offensive stretches at times. It’s possible that he could be a viable player when working off of Trae Young’s gravity.

However, the more fascinating pathway is the possibility of the Hawks opening up the roster space to make a move at the trade deadline to bolster their roster. They should be buyers at the trade deadline if Saleh’s vision for the roster comes to fruition. Being hard-capped at the first apron means that every contract makes a difference and the $4.5 million on Bufkin’s deal could be the salary cap room that decides a pivotal trade for the Hawks at this year’s deadline.

Although it’s a surprising move, it makes sense for the Hawks to pull the trigger on a Bufkin trade despite the paltry return. It hurts that they couldn’t get even a second-round pick for Bufkin considering his flashes of high-level defense. Ultimately, his injury history and first-round pick contract likely handicapped the return he’d fetch in a trade. It’s a move that they didn’t necessarily have to make, but it could pay dividends for the Hawks down the stretch.

Hawks Grade: C+

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