After a long period of inactivity, the Atlanta Hawks made one final move before the start of training camp. On Monday, ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania reported that the Hawks were trading Kobe Bufkin to the Brooklyn Nets for cash considerations. This allows the Nets to look at the 22-year-old combo guard to see if he can be part of their future, while the Hawks save some money and open up a roster spot.
What the Hawks will do with the newfound flexibility remains to be seen, but there are clear beneficiaries on the roster. The most notable name who will benefit from Bufkin's departure is Atlanta's offseason signing, Luke Kennard.
Luke Kennard Will Benefit Greatly from Kobe Bufkin's Departure
Kennard, despite signing a one-year, $11 million deal with the Hawks over the summer, had an uncertain role for the 2025-26 season. The 29-year-old guard is obviously one of the best shooters in the league, but has serious shortcomings in other aspects of the game. As a subpar defender, Kennard's fit with Trae Young was highly questionable. It turns out, however, that the Hawks are planning to have Kennard as the backup point guard behind Young.
Entering his third season in the league, Bufkin looked poised to be Trae Young's backup in Atlanta. Considering the lack of true point guards on the roster, the former Michigan standout had a clear path to playing time off the bench. How Kennard fit into this equation was unknown until Monday.
What this trade suggests is that the Hawks are planning to stagger Young and Kennard as much as possible. The two guards would make for a highly flammable backcourt pairing on the defensive end, one that no combination of elite defenders like Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu can make up for in other positions.
Playing the two in separate units as much as possible will help to get the most out of both players. Young will likely play around 35 minutes per game once again, while Kennard will serve as the primary ballhandler when the All-Star guard sits. Kennard is an adept enough playmaker and pick-and-roll operator for the offense to survive against bench units. Depending on the matchup, Young and Kennard can play limited minutes together to juice the Hawks' offense.
Even though trading Bufkin for nothing wasn't what the Hawks had in mind when they used a 15th-overall pick on him, that was a different front office that made the selection. GM Onsi Saleh continues to put his stamp on the roster, and how the new-look Hawks will fare once the season rolls around will be fascinating to watch.