What former 1st-round pick needs to earn Lakers call-up

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What former 1st-round pick needs to earn Lakers call-up

David Yapkowitz, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Wed, Jan 7, 2026 ·

3 min read

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LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers currently have one open roster spot, but due to salary cap restrictions under the first apron, they cannon add a 15th player until mid-January, should they choose to do so. Scour social media and you'll see plenty of Lakers fans clamoring for the team to call-up Kobe Bufkin who is in the G League right now playing for South Bay.

A former first-round pick looking to get back into the NBA, Kobe Bufkin has certainly had a few high-scoring offensive outbursts with playing in the G League with South Bay this season. But scoring alone isn't going to get him back in the league and potentially onto the Lakers' roster.

During South Bay's Jan. 3 win against the Memphis Hustle, Bufkin showed that he can be an impactful defensive player. So much so that South Bay head coach Zach Guthrie had to joke about it.

"He's made a lot of strides. . .I joked to him at the end of last game, like he was telling on himself with what he's capable of doing on the defensive end of the floor," Guthrie said following South Bay's win against the Hustle on Jan. 7. "Getting into the basketball, pursuing the pick and roll. . .I thought he had a lot of great ball pressure. . .he was pressuring the basketball, got a couple steals and deflections."

Bufkin already had a brief call-up this season on a hardship 10-day contract with the Memphis Grizzlies amid their injury issues. He was eventually released in favor of Christian Koloko . Bufkin did not appear in a game with the Grizzlies, and return to South Bay.

During his time in the G League this season, he's appeared in a total of 12 games with South Bay. He's averaged 26.1 points 4.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 53 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from the 3-point line. He's already had two games where he scored 40+ points. But as good as he's been offensively, that's not exactly what NBA teams are looking for.

"He knows his pathway to the NBA is on the defensive end of the floor, while also raising his efficiency and playmaking as well," Guthrie said."

Earlier this season, Bufkin acknowledged that to make it in the NBA , players needed to find what they were good at, and perfect that. As he's continued to get reps with South Bay, he's channeled that effort into the defensive end of the court.

"Just getting reps, reps brings confidence," Bufkin said following South Bay's win against the Hustle on Jan 6. "It's just knowing what to do in certain situations. I think I'm just progressing in the knowledge and my IQ on the defensive end."

Even if the Lakers opt to use their 15th roster spot in a different way, they could potentially keep Bufkin on the roster via two-way contract. They currently have all three two-way spots filled at the moment, however, with Chris Mañon , Drew Timme and Nick Smith Jr. They would either have to release one of them, or convert one to a standard contract.

In any case, as the Grizzlies' call-up showed, NBA teams are monitoring Bufkin's progress. If not with the Lakers, it probably won't be long until he finds himself back on an NBA roster.

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