Kobe Bufkin will miss the rest of the 2024-25 season, according to the Hawks, who announced on Wednesday in a press release that the second-year guard will undergo surgery to address right shoulder instability.
The surgery, which was determined to be the best option for Bufkin after “continued evaluation and additional medical opinions,” will take place on Jan. 7. He’s expected to recover in time for the start of the 2025-26 season.
The 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Bufkin was limited to 17 NBA appearances in his rookie year, having missed a significant chunk of the 2023-24 campaign due to a fractured left thumb and a sprained toe.
He also suited up for 14 games in the G League last season, averaging 23.6 points, 5.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds in 32.0 minutes per contest for the College Park Skyhawks, with a shooting line of .444/.356/.829.
Bufkin suffered a right shoulder subluxation (i.e., a partial dislocation) during a Summer League practice this past July, then suffered the same injury in practice just before the regular season began. He made his season debut on Nov. 18 and appeared in 10 games this fall, but that shoulder was never 100%, so he and the team have decided to take the surgical route to address it.
Bufkin will have another lost season. He has averaged 5.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG and 1.6 APG on .374/.220/.654 shooting in 27 NBA outings (11.9 MPG). Hopefully, the surgery will clear up any lingering issues with the shoulder and allow him to begin his third NBA season fully healthy.
Bufkin is under contract for $4.3M this season and $4.5M in 2025-26. The Hawks must decide by Oct. 31, 2025, on his $6.9M fourth-year option for the ’26-27 season.
Atlanta will have the ability to apply for a disabled player exception as a result of Bufkin’s season-ending injury. It would be worth half his salary (approximately $2.15M) and allow the club to sign a free agent to a rest-of-season contract or acquire a player on an expiring deal via trade or waiver claim.
