With each passing year, it’s pretty clear just how cutthroat the NBA world can be, especially when it comes to roster turnover. One moment, a player seems like a key piece for the team’s future, and the next, they’re fighting just to keep or find an NBA spot — like I highlighted recently with ex-Raptor Precious Achiuwa — or they’re quietly traded to another team without much fanfare.
And there's no better example of this than the Atlanta Hawks' recent move, where they traded Kobe Bufkin — their 15th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft — to the Brooklyn Nets for some cash considerations. Bufkin never really hit his stride during a brief stint in Atlanta, playing in just 27 games for the main roster over two seasons.
Bufkin entered the league after playing two years at Michigan, where he was seen as a versatile combo-guard with potential going into the 2023 NBA Draft. During that draft, the same one where Toronto picked Gradey Dick at 13th overall, I was also watching prospects like Bufkin, along with Keyonte George and Jalen Hood-Schifino, because the Raptors really needed more guard depth. Of course, Toronto ended up with Dick and Bufkin headed to Atlanta, just outside the lottery.
And now, a little over two years later, of all those names I mentioned, Keyonte George and Gradey Dick are the only ones really making waves at the NBA level.
But even though Toronto went with Dick, trade rumors later in 2023 hinted that the Raptors still had some interest in Kobe Bufkin — especially as they were exploring potential trade options for Pascal Siakam. This is where my point of the Hawks overestimating their value in Kobe Bufkin might've cost them a perennial All-Star and All-NBA talent from their ranks.
Kobe Bufkin: Once untouchable in Siakam trade talks to salary dumped
In September 2023, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that "The Atlanta Hawks were considered the team with the most trade interest in Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam over the summer."
The key point Scotto mentioned was their refusal to include Bufkin in any trade talks. He revealed that coach Quin Snyder viewed Bufkin very highly. But now, looking back with hindsight being 20/20, Bufkin went from being someone considered untouchable in a trade for a star, to being salary-dumped to Brooklyn, where he's about to join a backcourt filled with what feels like a thousand different guards.
Obviously, for Toronto, this could’ve ended up being a bit of a blessing in disguise. I’d still hold out on Bufkin — he definitely has talent and could find his footing in the NBA, but so far, his career hasn't really shown anything concrete. Even though the Raptors would eventually trade Siakam for a mixed bag, the dominoes that followed basically put them in a good spot to add Brandon Ingram down the line.
So, in the end, I’d say things still worked out pretty well for them. And for Atlanta, I think they’re still in a solid position to compete in the East, especially with their balanced roster and the slight retooling they did over the summer. It’s just funny to look back at these storylines now, with history showing a totally different outcome.