Kobe Bufkin is headed to Utah on a two-way deal, and the Jazz will have to clear a spot to make it happen.
After being waived on Saturday by New Orleans, the free agent guard has agreed to sign with the Jazz, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report and The Stein Line. Because Utah does not currently have an open two-way slot, the team will need to move on from one of its current two-way players. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that the player on the way out will be forward Blake Hinson.
Bufkin, the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, has had a stop-and-start start to his NBA career. He has played only 43 games across his first three seasons, dealing with injuries during a two-year run in Atlanta before spending part of the 2025/26 season with the Lakers. Los Angeles waived him in April, and he later landed with the Pelicans in July on an Exhibit 9 training camp contract, though he couldn’t win a spot on New Orleans’ regular-season roster.
At the NBA level, the 23-year-old guard has logged modest production: 4.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 10.2 minutes per game, with a .354/.212/.737 shooting line. But Bufkin showed real pop in the G League last season, where he averaged 24.8 points, 4.1 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in 24 games for the South Bay Lakers, shooting .507/.423/.895 in 32.5 minutes per night. That stretch earned him All-NBAGL second-team honors.
Hinson, meanwhile, made the most of his limited minutes for Utah last season, putting up 11.9 points per game on .513/.468/.750 shooting in 14 games. The 26-year-old forward also turned in a productive G League season, scoring 23.5 points per game while shooting .482/.370/.691 across 32 appearances for the Rip City Remix and Salt Lake City Stars.
Because this is Bufkin’s final year of two-way eligibility, the deal will only cover one season. If it’s finalized on Wednesday, he can appear in as many as 50 regular-season games for Utah and would earn a prorated salary of $674,980 if he stays under contract through the league-wide salary guarantee date in January.
If Hinson is waived today and clears, he would become an unrestricted free agent on Friday.
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