Did the Atlanta Hawks Give up on Kobe Bufkin Too Soon?

As for Bufkin's time in Atlanta, many argue it was underwhelming as he played in fewer than 30 games in two seasons, mainly due to season-ending injuries. In his rookie season, Bufkin played in 17 games, where he averaged 4.8 PPG, 1.6 APG, 1.9 RPG, and shooting splits of 37/22/50% that ended due to a fractured thumb and sprained toe. In his second season, Bufkin played in 10 games due to a right shoulder subluxation, but in those 10 games, he averaged 5.3 PPG, 1.7 APG, and 2.1 RPG on 38/21/72%. When Summer League came around this summer, Bufkin averaged 19.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.2 APG, and 1.0 SPG, where he showed his athleticism and ability to draw fouls, as he shot 15 free throws against the Miami Heat.

Based on the trajectory of the Hawks team right now, and what they got in return for Bufkin, it's hard to say that they gave up on Bufkin too soon. Based on the moves made this offseason, Atlanta is a team that is looking to win now and not necessarily wait on a rebuild with such a young roster. The Hawks traded for former All-Star Kristaps Porzingis and signed both Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard in moves that catapulted them to potential contenders in the Eastern Conference.

With Bufkin still on the roster, the Hawks would be waiting to see how things would play out with him this upcoming season, and be in the unknown for how Bufkin would play on a competitive roster, as well as if he could stay healthy given his injury history. However, where things get interesting for Atlanta is that after this season, it has been rumored that star point guard Trae Young could be on the move, and that would likely open things up for a slight rebuild. With Bufkin already having experience of being on the roster and having to play in a competitive season where he saw minutes, one would wonder how fast he could have pushed this young Hawks team forward as the starter.

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