Beating the Pacers to Kobe Bufkin Was a Smart Move by the Nets

Before the Brooklyn Nets reunited former Michigan standout Kobe Bufkin with his former head coach and current Brooklyn assistant Juwan Howard, they had some competition by way of last season's title runner-ups.

Per Grant Afseth of RG.org, the Indiana Pacers tried acquiring the 2023 first-rounder before the Nets did. Indiana is facing a major void in its backcourt with the loss of Tyrese Haliburton, who is expected to miss the entire 2025-26 campaign with a torn Achilles.

The Pacers looked to pair Bufkin with Andrew Nembhard as a Band-Aid for the Haliburton injury, but Brooklyn smartly leapfrogged its Eastern Conference rival.

Indiana's ability to develop guard talent over the years means it clearly saw the potential in Bufkin—which somehow makes the Nets' decision to trade for him even better in hindsight. Sure, there may be some rotational issues given that Brooklyn just added three lead guards (Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf) and one two guard (Drake Powell) in June's draft, but Bufkin's talent and experience likely trump some of the youngsters' chances of quickly earning a prominent role.

Bufkin could really evolve into one of the Nets' top contributors, but that's not the only positive of Brooklyn beating Indiana to the punch. Head coach Jordi Fernandez adds another piece to his rotation, while simultaneously subtracting one from the Pacers.

Now, a Haliburton-and-Myles Turner-less Indiana squad is nowhere near as frightening, and Brooklyn wasn't likely to be competing among the top ranks like the Pacers did last season. But from a broader standpoint, once Haliburton has recovered and Indiana has found a new center, the Nets' choice to steal Bufkin away could prove quite beneficial down the line.

It's important to note that Afseth said the Pacers were "among" the teams monitoring Bufkin, likely alluding to the fact that there were more interested franchises than simply Indiana and Brooklyn. If we eventually find out who those other teams are, the trade could look even better if those interested were ones known for having an eye for talent.

This could all absolutely end up as one big overreaction, depending on Bufkin's impact. But if he hits, not only will the Nets have added an impactful piece many of their peers were after, but they will also have proven they can compete with Eastern Conference juggernauts for players who garner widespread interest.