Lakers waive Kobe Bufkin, expected to make signing over weekend

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EL SEGUNDO, CA - APRIL 3: <a class= — EL SEGUNDO, CA - APRIL 3: Kobe Bufkin #6 of the South Bay Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers during the 2026 G League Playoffs Semifinals on April 3, 2026 at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Edwin Garcia

Fri, Apr 10, 2026 ·

3 min read

With the playoffs fast approaching and the Lakers dealing with key injuries to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves , they will be opening up a roster spot by reportedly waiving Kobe Bufkin.

Shams Charania of ESPN was the first to report the move, and the team made it official shortly after.

Los Angeles signed Kobe Bufkin to a two-year deal this season, but he has seen limited action for the Lakers.

Bufkin played in just 16 games for the purple and gold, and only logged 10-plus minutes in four of them. His best performance was in a loss against the Spurs back in February.

In that contest, he scored seven points. Bufkin was originally signed to the Lakers due to his stellar play with South Bay. In the G League, he averaged 24.7 points and 3.6 assists per game. That level of production never happened for him during his stint with the main team.

Now that Bufkin has been waived, the Lakers have an open roster spot.

The Lakers have just two games left in their NBA season, but will be playing in the playoffs and need as many playable players as possible. They can only sign players who were free agents as of March 1, so the pool of players they can add to their postseason roster is limited.

Perhaps a veteran point guard like Chris Paul can join the roster? Paul signed with the Clippers last summer and had a nasty breakup with the other LA team. He was ultimately traded to Toronto and waived by the Raptors.

He announced retirement shortly after being waived, but a postseason run with the Lakers might be the kind of opportunity he’d be excited to take. Paul is playoff-eligible, so this is a possibility that makes sense for all involved.

While the player the Lakers will add is unknown, what is certain is that another move is coming. If Los Angeles waived a player this late into the season when they are already shorthanded, then they clearly have someone in mind that can help the team win now.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social .