Overview
- Memphis is using the hardship exception to add Bufkin, who is expected to be available Monday against the Nuggets, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
- Bufkin arrives from the South Bay Lakers after two G League games in which he averaged 22.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists on efficient shooting.
- The exception follows a cluster of injuries to Grizzlies guards, including Ja Morant (calf strain), Ty Jerome (calf strain), Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe surgery) and Javon Small (turf toe), with Brandon Clarke still rehabbing a knee injury.
- A 2023 first-round pick by Atlanta, Bufkin’s early NBA tenure was curtailed by a fractured thumb, a sprained toe and season-ending shoulder surgery in December 2024.
- After an offseason trade to Brooklyn and a subsequent waiver, Bufkin entered the G League player pool and had his rights acquired by South Bay, leaving open a return there once the 10-day deal ends.