Nets Continue to Earn Praise for Landing Kobe Bufkin via Trade

The word that the Indiana Pacers, among others, per Grant Afseth, were interested in Kobe Bufkin before he was dealt to the Brooklyn Nets was already a good indicator that the move was a smart one.

Knowing that the team that just represented the Eastern Conference in the 2025 NBA Finals, which is synonymous with developing guard talent, wanted to add Bufkin showed Brooklyn what kind of player it was acquiring. If that wasn't enough, however, analyst Sam Vecenie took time to praise the Nets' front office on The Game Theory Podcast.

“This is a home run for the Nets. You absolutely take on Kobe Bufkin’s $4.5 million this year, and I think you opt into the option at $6.9 [million] next year, and you just say, ‘Hey, let’s see what it looks like,'” Vecenie said. “In terms of his game, I really like the feel for the game. I buy him as a shooter long-term. I think he plays a very direct game, makes very quick decisions, likes to drive in straight lines. I think he’s one of those dudes that always profiled to me as somebody who plays really well both on and off the ball."

So not only was the franchise that has brought out the best of Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell after Bufkin, but now Brooklyn is receiving public praise for taking a chance on the 2023 first-rounder.

Is the praise warranted? Absolutely.

He does join a crowded Nets backcourt alongside 2025 draftees Egor Demin, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf, but the versatility that trio provides allows for some flexibility when crafting lineups. Their presence shouldn't impact Bufkin's ability to get on the floor. Plus, Brooklyn is also still very much in the "throw things at the wall and hope they stick" phase of its rebuild. While this offseason did provide closure and insight into the team's future plans, much is still very unknown.

Perhaps Bufkin could become a key contributor in Jordi Fernandez's rotation without stunting the development of the incoming class—or diminishing the value of Brooklyn's tradeable veterans (i.e. Terance Mann).

Regardless of the manner, it seems the Nets are headed for a positive outcome from this deal, especially if the Pacers emerge as an interconference rival whenever Brooklyn's roster is again primed to compete in the postseason, or if Cam Thomas ultimately signs elsewhere come next summer's free agency period.