The New Orleans Pelicans trimmed their roster Saturday, waiving guard Kobe Bufkin and forward Jalon Moore and bringing the team down to 18 players, including three two-way players.
Bufkin arrived in New Orleans after a winding path through the league and the G League, but his stay ended before the regular season. The 6-foot-4 guard, the 15th overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2023 NBA Draft, played in three preseason games for the Pelicans and put up 5.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game.
His NBA résumé now includes three seasons split between Atlanta and the Los Angeles Lakers, with 43 games played and one start. Over that span, he averaged 4.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 10.2 minutes per game.
Bufkin’s college stop came at Michigan, where he earned third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2023. Since turning pro, he has bounced around multiple rosters while also spending time in the G League.
During the 2025-26 season, he played for the South Bay Lakers before getting NBA looks from the Memphis Grizzlies and Lakers. He later signed a standard two-year deal with Los Angeles in February 2026, only to be waived on April 10.
He then surfaced with New Orleans for the 2026 NBA Summer League and made a loud first impression, scoring 30 points in the opener while adding six rebounds, two assists and a block. He shot 5-for-9 from deep in that game and later signed a one-year contract with the Pelicans before Saturday’s move.
Moore’s path out of New Orleans came after his own summer league run. The 6-foot-7 forward appeared in three games in Las Vegas and averaged 6.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in 19.3 minutes a night.
Moore had entered the draft process after tearing his Achilles tendon before the 2025 NBA Draft, a setback that came before his chance to compete for a roster spot with the Pelicans.
In Other News...
Jamahl Mosley Could Change More Than Expected For The Pelicans
Rick Carlisle has seen enough of Jamahl Mosley to know the hire could mean more for the Pelicans than a fresh voice on the sideline. Carlisle praised Mosleys influence in Orlando and pointed to the way he helped reshape that teams identity, the sort of steady impact that goes beyond Xs and Os and into the daily habits that define a program.
For New Orleans, that matters because the roster already has offensive talent, and the bigger question has long been how all the pieces fit together over time. As the season nears, the same themes around chemistry, defined roles and organizational standards that Indiana players recently discussed feel especially relevant for a Pelicans team trying to turn promise into something more durable. [Read more 🡒]
Yves Missi Is Giving Pelicans Little Reason To Change Course
The Pelicans wrapped preseason with a win over the Washington Wizards and now turn the page to their regular season opener against the Indiana Pacers, with the center spot still one of the more closely watched decisions on the roster. Jamahl Mosley has spent all four exhibition games starting Yves Missi in the middle, a clear sign the rookie has been given every chance to stake his claim while Derik Queen and Karlo Matkovic remain in the mix.
Missis recent play only strengthened that case. He looked more settled in the final preseason games, and in the finale against Washington he finished with six points and seven rebounds on 3-of-5 shooting in 19 minutes. For a team sorting out its frontcourt rotation, the Pelicans have gotten enough from Missi to at least avoid changing course for now. [Read more 🡒]
Zion Is Chasing The One Change Pelicans Fans Have Waited For
Zion Williamsons offseason emphasis has been clear enough to notice from the sideline, even before a regular-season possession has counted. The Pelicans star is reportedly looking to bring more three-point shooting into his game, a change that would add a new layer to an already dangerous offensive profile and give New Orleans another way to stress defenses as it tries to push back into the postseason picture.
The early signs have already shown up in the work itself, with Williamson seen practicing from deep and even putting a few up in preseason action. He did not connect on those looks, but the idea behind the adjustment matters more than the short-term result for a player whose range has been limited and whose next step could shape how much room the Pelicans have to grow around him. [Read more 🡒]