Lakers Reportedly Open Roster Spot Ahead of NBA Playoffs, Waive Kobe Bufkin

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to waive guard Kobe Bufkin, ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Friday.

Per ESPN's Bobby Marks, the deadline to waive a player on an expiring contract is Friday at 5 p.m. ET, meaning the Lakers got in under the wire.

With the departure of Bufkin opening up a roster spot, Charania noted that the Lakers plan to "evaluate a signing over the weekend" ahead of the start of the NBA playoffs next week.

In February, the Lakers signed Bufkin to a two-year contract with a team option for 2026-27 after he lit up the G League with averages of 27.7 points, 4.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 3.4 three-pointers made, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game for the South Bay Lakers.

The 22-year-old former University of Michigan standout never became a significant part of L.A.'s rotation, though.

Bufkin appeared in 16 games for the Lakers, starting one of them, and averaging 2.9 points in 7.4 minutes per contest.

The Lakers have just two games remaining on their regular-season schedule, and they are currently the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, meaning they are lined up to face the No. 5 Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.

While the Lakers would likely be favored at full strength, it is possible they will be without two key players for the entirety of the first round.

According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, superstar guard Luka Dončić is out indefinitely with a strained hamstring, and guard Austin Reaves is also on the shelf with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury.

No exact timelines were given for the return of either player, but Charania (h/t McMenamin) reported that Reaves is expected to miss four to six weeks.

As for Dončić, McMenamin and Charania reported that he recently traveled to Spain to get an injection for his hamstring injury in hopes of a quicker return to action.

However, with Dončić and Reaves currently injured, the Lakers lack quality depth to lend support to LeBron James.

Head coach JJ Redick will need to get far more than usual out of the likes of Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Jake LaRavia and others if Dončić and Reaves don't return in the near future.

Because of the uncertainty surrounding Dončić and Reaves, it makes sense for the Lakers to perhaps want to bring in a veteran guard with a better chance of contributing on the playoff stage than Bufkin.

Some notable guards who are currently free agents and could potentially interest the Lakers include Cole Anthony, Lonzo Ball, Alec Burks, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dante Exum, Josh Richardson, Cam Thomas and Delon Wright.