INTERNAL PROMOTION: DISCOVER WHY THE LAKERS CHOSE KOBE BUFKIN OVER BUYOUT VETERANS
The Los Angeles Lakers signed Kobe Bufkin to a two-year deal, choosing the 26.7 PPG G League star over veteran buyout candidates.
After the Lakers grabbed Luke Kennard at the trade deadline, everyone started wondering what they'd do next. The buyout market was about to open up, and big names like Mike Conley Jr, Lonzo Ball, Haywood Highsmith, and Cam Thomas were already floating around as options.
Lakers GM Rob Pelinka didn’t keep anyone guessing for long. “We have an open roster spot, and we’re talking to some available players, just doing our homework,” he told reporters after the deadline. “Players could come in through the buyout market. We’re looking at that 15th roster spot and probably will fill it at some point.”
But when Pelinka finally filled that last spot, he surprised a lot of people. Instead of waiting for a buyout candidate, the Lakers decided to reward a guy from within—G League standout Kobe Bufkin. They signed him to a two-year NBA contract.
Honestly, Bufkin earned it. With the South Bay Lakers, he put up some wild numbers: 26.7 points, 4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and just under a block per game. He shot over 51% from the field and hit 43% of his threes. And lately, he’s been on fire—dropping 36, 41, and 29 points in his last three games, draining 18 threes, handing out 16 assists, and grabbing seven steals.
All season, people around the league have called him one of the most NBA-ready guards in the G League.
Bufkin first joined the Lakers on a 10-day contract in January. When that ran out, they didn’t offer him a second stint, which could’ve kept him around through the trade deadline. Instead, they sent him back to South Bay and took a bit of a risk. Because his contract wasn’t locked down, any NBA team could’ve signed him away—standard, two-way, 10-day, whatever. The Lakers had already seen Memphis snatch up Scotty Pippen Jr after his time in L.A., so they knew how fast G League talent can disappear.
With interest picking up around the league, Pelinka decided not to wait. He wanted to keep Bufkin, so he made the move.
The Lakers had other options. They could’ve juggled their two-way contracts, maybe waived Chris Mannon, and kept the 15th spot open for a buyout player. Drew Timme and Nick Smith Jr had already played plenty on two-way deals, and league rules gave the Lakers some wiggle room. Teams with fewer than 15 players on standard deals can use two-way players for up to 90 games combined (instead of just 50 each). According to Spotrac, Timme and Smith Jr had only played in 49 games together, so the Lakers could’ve kept Bufkin on a two-way if they wanted.
But honestly, that 15th spot wasn’t going to stay open. By giving Bufkin a standard contract, the Lakers made sure he could play the rest of the season and didn’t risk losing him.
Looking at the buyout market, the choice got even clearer. Cam Thomas went to the Bucks. Lonzo Ball’s still a question mark—teams want a look at his medicals before doing anything. Haywood Highsmith hasn’t played all season because of injury.
So, betting on Bufkin? It just made sense. G League numbers don’t always mean NBA success, but Bufkin’s outgrown South Bay. He’s earned a real shot, and the Lakers decided to invest in someone who could actually grow into a rotation player, instead of gambling on a rental. They went with the guy they know, and honestly, it looks like the right call.
MILLION DOLLAR BET: LOGAN PAUL’S OPEN CHALLENGE TO THE NFL BACKFIRES AS BELL ACCEPTS
Logan Paul is ducking: Read about Le’Veon Bell’s $1M challenge, Tom Brady’s "cute" insult, and the Pittsburgh Draft fight rumours.
A former NFL star just called out Logan Paul, saying he’s dodging their $1 million fight.
So here’s what’s been going on: Logan Paul, who’s held the WWE United States Championship, got into it with NFL legend Tom Brady. Brady kicked things off by saying pro wrestling is “cute” and throwing shade at Paul’s athleticism compared to NFL players.
Logan didn’t let that slide. He fired back, claiming 99% of NFL players would fall apart if they tried wrestling in WWE, and then flipped the script by calling football "cute". Things really heated up when Brady straight-up called him a b*tch, and Logan decided to up the ante.
On his IMPAULSIVE podcast, Logan claimed no football player could beat him in a boxing match. He even put $1 million on the line, daring any NFL player to prove him wrong. A bunch of NFL guys jumped in, but Le’Veon Bell, a former Steelers star and a pro boxer himself, really took the bait.
Bell challenged Logan to fight in Pittsburgh during the 2026 NFL draft. He didn’t hold back, posting, “STOP DUCKING, @LoganPaul. Bro’s trying to fight an NFL player that’s never fought before. Let’s set it up; we all heard you say you can beat any NFL player. We can fight in April; the NFL draft is in PITTSBURGH. Let’s make it happen.”
Logan fired back. He pointed out that Bell isn’t in the NFL anymore, and since Bell actually knows how to fight, Logan said he’d need serious training time, which means stepping away from WWE, something he’s not willing to do. Plus, Logan claimed the fight isn’t worth it because Bell doesn’t draw a big crowd. “You’re not in the NFL. You can actually fight, so I’d have to properly train and step away from WWE (which I’m not doing, especially not for you). There’s no money here because you’re not a draw. Prove me wrong. Of course, you want the opportunity. I’m a goldmine for retirees like you. But gg,” Logan replied.
Bell wasn’t having it. He accused Logan of ducking out, saying Logan’s only interested in fighting NFL players with zero boxing experience. “THIS MF A (duck emoji) bro said, 'You can actually fight,' so he’s telling everyone he wants to fight someone who he feels can’t fight. That’s what we call DUCKING,” Bell shot back.
THIRD FASTEST EVER? HOW DID JAYSON TATUM BEAT KEVIN DURANT’S RECOVERY BY 254 DAYS?
Jayson Tatum is back: Read about his 298-day Achilles recovery, the 15-minute limit, and why the Celtics are now title favourites.
Jayson Tatum sat at the Auerbach Center, listening to questions from reporters during Celtics media day, looking like he was itching to get back on the court.
The Celtics’ star forward is finally on the verge of returning after tearing his Achilles less than 300 days ago, but don’t expect to see him logging big minutes right away. Reports say Boston plans to be extra cautious. Brett Siegel from ClutchPoints even said he’d be surprised if Tatum plays more than 10 to 15 minutes per game at first.
Tatum’s officially listed as questionable for Friday’s home game against the Mavericks. If he suits up, it'll be a huge boost for Boston, and honestly, a bit of a shock, considering how long other players have been out with the same injury. Just look at Dejounte Murray; he had to wait nearly 100 days longer than Tatum before coming back, and the Pelicans have limited him to 25 minutes a night since.
At the start of the season, most people figured Tatum would sit out the whole year. That’s what usually happens with Achilles injuries; guys like Durant, Klay, and DeMarcus Cousins all missed at least a year. Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton, who tore their Achilles in last year’s playoffs too, were ruled out for the entire season.
But then whispers started. Suddenly, Tatum was practising with the G League’s Maine Celtics, then joining full scrimmages with the big club. The rumours got louder, and now, here we are. If he does play Friday, he’ll have pulled off the third-fastest return from an Achilles tear in recent NBA history; only Kobe Bryant and Chauncey Billups came back quicker.
Here’s a quick rundown:
Kobe Bryant: 240 days
Chauncey Billups: 296 days
Jayson Tatum: 298 days
DeMarcus Cousins: 357 days
Kevin Durant: 552 days
Of course, Boston isn’t taking any chances. Tatum had to hit every checkpoint – conditioning, weight, you name it – before they’d let him suit up. And by all accounts, he looks good. Derrick White said Tatum has been moving well and playing like his old self in practice. You can see how hard he’s worked to get to this point.
The Celtics are 41-21 and already one of the league’s best, but Tatum’s return suddenly makes them the favourites to win the East and push for another Finals trip. Oddsmakers have noticed, too. Thomas Gable at Borgata said Tatum’s comeback could give Boston’s title odds another bump, and David Lieberman at Caesars pointed out that bettors have already started to back the Celtics with his return in mind.
So, yeah, Boston fans have a lot to be excited about. Tatum’s almost back, and the Celtics’ championship hopes just got a whole lot brighter.
