Basketball

Kobe Bufkin Set For Summer League After Hawks Reject Trade Offers

Published: Jul 3, 2025, 3:16 PM
4 min read
Updated: Jul 10, 2025, 4:27 PM
Fact checked by:
Sergey Demidov
Kobe Bufkin at Hawks media day

Kobe Bufkin at Hawks media day (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Kobe Bufkin has been a bright spot in the Atlanta Hawks' offseason workouts, earning praise from team personnel after returning to full-speed action ahead of Summer League. Sources told RG that Bufkin has fully recovered from right shoulder surgery and will take the floor for the Hawks in Las Vegas.

Bufkin, 21, missed the final three months of the 2024–25 season after undergoing surgery in January to address recurring shoulder subluxation. Since being medically cleared, he has impressed coaches and staff with his rhythm, athleticism, and poise in open runs—signaling real progress heading into his third NBA season.

“He’s looked sharp,” one source told RG. “There’s a lot of excitement about seeing what he can do with real minutes again.”

Bufkin is expected to play in Las Vegas but may only appear in a few games before being shut down, a typical approach for more experienced young players returning from injury. The Hawks plan to use the brief run to evaluate his conditioning, rhythm, and continued development in live settings.

Atlanta remains committed to Bufkin’s long-term future. Sources told RG the team has turned down multiple trade inquiries for the 2023 first-round pick, including a proposal involving Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk. The Hawks opted to hold onto Bufkin, viewing him as a valuable two-way piece still developing into his full potential.

Through two seasons, Bufkin has appeared in 27 regular-season games for Atlanta, averaging 5.0 points and 2.0 rebounds. While his NBA minutes have been limited by injuries, he showed flashes of upside, including a 43-point game during a G-League assignment with the College Park Skyhawks.

At season’s end, Bufkin acknowledged how difficult it’s been to stay patient through back-to-back years with injury setbacks.

“This is the first time in my career I’ve had to deal with injuries, really the first two years of my career,” Bufkin said in April. “But I’ve learned a lot from it. I just try to stay mentally strong and keep working on whatever I can.”

He credited the support of teammates who were also rehabbing throughout the season.

“We had a lot of guys out at different points, so I had friends to talk to while I was injured,” he said. “We kind of got through it together and made the most of it.”

Even from the sidelines, Bufkin stayed active mentally and looked for ways to contribute.

“I learned a lot just being able to talk to the vets, see what they see, and share what I see,” he said. “I actually taught one of the guys about the ‘boxer switch’—that’s something I learned from Coach Howard at Michigan. It’s cool to be able to help out even when you’re not on the floor.”

Looking ahead, Bufkin made clear he was focused on using the offseason to reset and prepare for a full NBA workload.

“I’m looking forward to working with the coaches this offseason, maybe Summer League this year,” he said. “Just getting my conditioning back, being able to play a full 82-game season, that’s the main thing.”

The Hawks believe Bufkin is trending in the right direction. While his Summer League stint could be brief, it’ll be a chance for him to show why they're betting on his future. Despite missing out on Myles Turner, the Hawks still have a reloaded roster in a wide-open Eastern Conference and Atlanta will be that much better if Bufkin can make an impact.

NBA Reporter
Grant Afseth is a Dallas-based basketball journalist with more than a decade of experience covering the NBA, WNBA, G League and FIBA. He’s reported from the NBA Finals, All-Star Weekend, Olympics and FIBA World Cup, focusing on analysis and front office insight. He runs DallasHoopsJournal.com, covering the Mavericks and Wings with game coverage, features and interviews. His work includes conversations with stars like Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, and is known for its accuracy, sourcing and adherence to AP style.
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Mark Medina
Mark Medina
NBA Reporter

Mark Medina is a veteran NBA reporter with more than a decade of experience chronicling some of the league’s most iconic players, championship moments and behind-the-scenes developments. His coverage spans six NBA Finals (2010, 2018–2022), Kobe Bryant’s final five seasons (2012–2016) and the rise of the Golden State Warriors dynasty (2017–2019). His storytelling combines deep reporting, access and a focus on the human side of the game.

During the 2020 NBA bubble, Mark was one of the few journalists embedded on-site from July to September, reporting not just on the games but also on the league’s strict COVID-19 protocols and the players’ social justice activism. His January 2020 in-depth interview with Kobe Bryant, focused on Bryant’s post-retirement ventures in media and youth development, was one of the last before the basketball legend’s passing.

Throughout his career, Mark has conducted exclusive one-on-one interviews with basketball icons and influential figures, including Bryant, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Pau Gasol, Metta Sandiford-Artest, Steve Kerr, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jeanie Buss. Known for his enterprise reporting and nuanced features, Mark has developed a reputation for balanced, thoughtful journalism that explores both the athletic and cultural impact of the NBA.

📍 Based in: Los Angeles, USA

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