Jazz add former lottery pick

Kobe Bufkin hasn’t had much of a chance to get comfortable in the NBA. The Jazz will give him another shot.

Utah has officially signed the former lottery pick to a two-way contract, the team announced. Blake Hinson was waived to make room.

Bufkin, 23, was the No. 15 overall pick in 2023, but injuries helped limit him to just 43 NBA appearances over his first three seasons. He spent two years with the Hawks, part of last season with the Lakers and training camp with the Pelicans, who waived him last weekend.

That’s a lot of moving around for a player still trying to establish himself. But his work in the G League offers a reason to keep looking.

Bufkin averaged 24.8 points, 4.1 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 24 games for the South Bay Lakers last season, shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 42.3 percent on threes. He earned second-team All-G League honors.

The NBA numbers haven’t come close. Bufkin has averaged 4.2 points while shooting 35.4 percent overall and 21.2 percent from deep