Jazz make Kobe Bufkin’s two-way deal official, giving the 2023 lottery pick one more NBA chance

The Utah Jazz have signed guard Kobe Bufkin to a two-way contract, the team announced on Saturday, October 24, three days after Jake Fischer first reported that the two sides had reached an agreement.

For Bufkin, the deal is a fourth stop in barely a year and, very likely, the last two-way opportunity he can get. The 23-year-old guard is in his final season of two-way eligibility, so the contract runs for 2026-27 only and lets him appear in as many as 50 regular-season games for Utah.

From the lottery to the waiver wire

Atlanta took Bufkin out of Michigan with the 15th pick of the 2023 draft, but injuries kept him off the floor for much of his two years with the Hawks. He spent part of last season with the Lakers before being released in April, then joined the New Orleans Pelicans in July on a training camp contract. New Orleans let him go on Saturday, October 17, as it trimmed its roster for opening night.

His NBA résumé is thin: 43 games over three seasons, with averages of 4.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in about 10 minutes a night, and just 21.2 percent shooting from three. His G League work tells a different story. With the South Bay Lakers last season he scored 24.8 points per game across 24 appearances, hit 42.3 percent from deep and 89.5 percent at the line, and earned a place on the All-NBA G League second team.

What it means for Utah’s roster

Every NBA club may carry 15 players on standard contracts plus three on two-way deals, and the Jazz had already filled all three two-way spots. To make room, Utah is releasing forward Blake Hinson, according to reports. Our sources had not seen a separate team announcement of Hinson’s release by Saturday night. The 26-year-old averaged 11.9 points in 14 games for the Jazz last season after scoring 23.5 per game in the G League; if he goes unclaimed on waivers, he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

The swap leaves the standard roster and the payroll picture untouched. Two-way salaries do not count against the salary cap or the luxury tax, and Bufkin’s prorated pay comes to $674,980 if he stays under contract through the league-wide guarantee date in January, according to reports.

What comes next

Utah hosts the Los Angeles Lakers, Bufkin’s former team, on Sunday, October 25, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Follow the game in the Game Center, and track every move around the league on the transactions page.