The Memphis Grizzlies have been granted a hardship exception and will use it to sign free agent guard Kobe Bufkin to a 10-day contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sunday.
Grizzlies Have Several Injured Players
Hardship exceptions allow a team to temporarily exceed the 15-man roster limit. The NBA awards a hardship exception to a club if it has at least four injured players who have missed three consecutive games and are slated to miss at least two more weeks.
Four Grizzlies point guards — Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe surgery), Ty Jerome (calf strain), Ja Morant (calf strain), and Javon Small (turf toe) — remain sidelined, and Brandon Clarke is still recovering from offseason knee surgery.
Bufkin, 22, will provide much-needed backcourt depth for Memphis.
The Memphis Grizzlies plan to sign guard Kobe Bufkin via 10-day hardship exception, sources tell ESPN. Bufkin, the No. 15 pick in the 2023 draft, gets called up from the Lakers’ South Bay G League team and enters his third NBA season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 23, 2025
The Atlanta Hawks selected Bufkin with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Michigan. Bufkin, however, dealt with multiple injuries during his first two seasons with Atlanta.
He missed several games of his rookie year due to a fractured left thumb and a sprained toe, then underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in December 2024, less than two months into his sophomore year.
Overall, the 6-foot-4 Bufkin made just 27 appearances for the Hawks as a reserve, averaging 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 11.9 minutes per outing, with a 37.4/22.0/65.4 shooting line.
Bufkin Joined South Bay Lakers
In September, the Hawks traded Bufkin to the Brooklyn Nets for cash considerations.
Had Atlanta kept Bufkin, he likely would have seen less playing time this season as a backup to Dyson Daniel, Luke Kennard, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Brooklyn, however, waived the Michigan native in order for the team to reduce its roster size to 15 players for the start of the regular season.
After being cut by the Nets, Bufkin entered the NBA G League player pool, and his rights were acquired by the South Bay Lakers following a trade.
In two Tip-Off Tournament games with the Lakers’ G League affiliate, Bufkin has averaged 22.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 28.7 minutes on 44.4/50.0/80.0 shooting.
The Grizzlies host the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
