NBA Draft

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks selected Kobe Bufkin with the #15 overall pick in Thursday night's NBA Draft, and to hear General Manager Landry Fields tell it, one of the things that they loved most was Bufkin's passion for the game.

"I think it got serious when one of our intel sources said something along the lines of, 'There are guys who love the game and then there are guys who are in love with the game.' This is a guy who is in love with the game."

The 6-foot-4 guard played two seasons at the University of Michigan, where he averaged 14.0 points per game in his sophomore season while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three. Like John Collins six years ago, Bufkin is a young player despite having two seasons of college experience; he will turn 20 right around the time training camp opens in late September just as Collins did.

Two of the things that the Hawks like best are that Bufkin has an all-around game that works on a number of levels with few weaknesses, and that his progression at Michigan took a constant upward trajectory.&nbsp;

"When we spoke with him in Chicago, that was another huge moment for me," Fields said. "He's just very mature in the way that he sees the game: the feel, the IQ, the confidence that he has as well. He's just a very fluid type of player. He can play on-ball, off-ball. He defends, and that's big for us as well. He's young and still growing and getting better."

Bufkin himself gave himself a similar assessment.

"I think my skill set is pretty all-around," he said. "I can improve in many areas, but it doesn't really lack much."

When asked about comparing himself to a current NBA player, Bufkin said that there is one player he gets compared to often: D'Angelo Russell.

"I think that's just because I'm a left-handed player," Bufkin added, "but I watch a lot of D-Book (Devin Booker)."

Perhaps the best example of Bufkin's maturity is his development on the defensive side. The Hawks view him as an addition to their defense, even though his freshman season posed some challenges.

"Defensively, my freshman year I couldn't guard nobody," Bufkin said. "I'm going to just put it like that. I finally just focused on moving my feet and that allowed me to get on the court my second year and have a big impact on defense first."

Bufkin especially impressed Fields with his self-improvement on that end through the emulation of a Michigan teammate.

"He actually talked about a teammate of his, and how he thought (that teammate) was the best defender on the team when (Bufkin) got there as a freshman. And so what he ended up doing was he ended up watching film of that teammate – time and time again – in order to be more like him."

Bufkin is eager to get to Atlanta, a city with which he is already familiar because some of his aunts and uncles reside here.&nbsp;

"I'm just looking forward to competing against Trae Young and Dejounte Murray," he said. "They go at it. I've paid attention, so I'm definitely ready to get down there and get on the court with those guys and learn."

Bufkin has a sense of humor about his new home, too.&nbsp;

"I probably went to Atlanta last year around summertime. I know there's a lot of traffic. I'm not looking forward to the traffic and the humidness and the roaches. But, you know, there's some good parts that come with it as well. But the roaches, the roaches fly by the way. I don't know what's up with that."

The Grand Rapids, MI native is eager to make another trip South.

"I think the city of Atlanta, as a whole, is a beautiful city. I have family down there that I'm looking forward to kicking it with and visiting with them."

Bufkin is gaining a family on the court, too, and he should be able to help them there soon.

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Kobe Bufkin bringing all-around game to Atlanta

ATLANTA&nbsp;– The Atlanta Hawks selected Kobe Bufkin from the University of Michigan with the 15thpick in the 2023 NBA Draft and Seth Lundy from Penn State with the 46th&nbsp;pick on Thursday night. Atlanta has agreed in principle to acquire the draft rights to Mouhamed Gueye (the 39th&nbsp;player selected in the 2023 NBA Draft) from Boston in a trade to be finalized at a later date.

Bufkin appeared in 61 games (33 starts) throughout his two-year Wolverines career, averaging 9.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 23.3 minutes (.463 FG%, .325 3FG%, .833 FT%). Named to the 2023 All-Big Ten Third Team (media), the 6-4 guard saw action in 33 games (all starts) during his sophomore season, tallying 14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 34.0 minutes of action (.482 FG%, .355 3FG%, .849 FT%). Bufkin netted 10-or-more points in 24 of his 33 games played during the 2022-23 campaign, including seven outings with at least 20 points. In a 68-51 win at Northwestern on Feb. 2, 2023, he notched a near triple-double, recording a career-high 12 rebounds and a career-high eight assists, to go along with 15 points, two steals and one block in 38 minutes.&nbsp;

“I’ve mentioned before about Hawks DNA. Hawks DNA is about being in love with this game and giving it your all and you’d be surprised about how many guys do that and how many don’t. But he’s a guy that there’s no doubt about it … That’s a guy that loves this game. He’s an unbelievable person,” said Hawks General Manager Landry Fields. “When we spoke with him in Chicago, that was another huge moment for me. He’s just very mature, the way he sees the game, the feel, the IQ, the confidence that he has as well. Just a very fluid type of player. He can play on ball and off ball and defends and that’s big for us as well.”

The Grand Rapids, Michigan native helped lead the Wolverines to back-to-back postseason appearances, reaching the Sweet 16 in the 2022 NCAA Tournament and the second round of the 2023 NIT. A four-star recruit out of Grand Rapids Christian High School, Bufkin was named a 2021 McDonald’s All-American.

Lundy played four seasons at Penn State, appearing in 122 games (96 starts), owning career averages of 10.5 points and 4.6 boards in 26.0 minutes (.412 FG%, .368 3FG%, .814 FT%). He finished his Penn State career ranking sixth all-time in school history in carer three-pointers (229), ninth in career free throw percentage (.814 FT%) and 20th&nbsp;in career points (1,283). Lundy became the 39th&nbsp;member of Penn State’s 1,000-career point club on Jan. 11, 2023, scoring his 1,000th&nbsp;in a win against Indiana.

"He was here for our last workout and he's a guy we monitored. He really caught our eye at the combine and has an elite skill in shooting. He plays with toughness and he came out here and lit it up in front of us. That's part of who he is. He's been doing that for a long time at Penn State,” said Fields. “He’s a guy where you can never have enough shooting and again, this is a character fit. These are guys that we want to build with that make it fun to build with, and guys that we know are going to maximize their potential."

A native of Paulsboro, New Jersey, Lundy earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (coaches and media) during the 2022-23 season, after averaging career highs in points (14.2), rebounds (6.3), field goal percentage (.450 FG%) and three-point field goal percentage (.400 3FG%). In four Big Ten Tournament contests, the 6-6 guard/forward tallied 17.0 points and 7.8 boards, earning a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.

Gueye (pronounced mo-HAH-med Gay) saw action in 68 games (66 starts) during his two-year career at Washington State, registering 10.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 26.9 minutes (.489 FG%, .613 FT%). The 6-11 forward appeared in 33 games (all starts) during the 2022-23 season, notching 14.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 32.1 minutes, en route to an All-Pac-12 First Team selection (.488 FG%, .674 FT%). Gueye’s 8.4 rebounds per game were the fourth-most in the Pac-12, while his 14.3 points were the ninth-best in the conference. He tallied 15 double-doubles during the 2022-23 campaign, the most by any player in the Pac-12.

Named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team in 2021-22, Gueye started in 33 of Washington State’s 35 games played in the 2021-22 season, tying Klay Thompson’s program record for most starts by a true freshman. The Dakar, Senegal native recorded 33 blocks during his freshman campaign (fourth-most in program history by a freshman), 181 steals (fifth-most by a freshman) and 29 steals (10th-most by a freshman).

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Atlanta Hawks Select Kobe Bufkin with the No. 15 Pick, Seth Lundy with the No. 46 Pick, and Acquire the Draft Rights to Mouhamed Gueye in 2023 NBA Draft

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ATLANTA - The Atlanta Hawks have acquired the draft rights to forward De’Andre Hunter, the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, forward Solomon Hill, a conditional 2023 second-round pick and the draft rights to guard Jordan Bone, the 57th overall selection, from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for the draft rights to center Jaxson Hayes, the eighth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the 17th overall pick, guard Marcos Louzada Silva, the 35th overall selection and a conditional 2020 first-round pick, it was announced today.

“We are thrilled to add De’Andre to our young core. As one of the top two-way players in college basketball last season, he brings a variety of skills that will translate well on the next level,” said Hawks General Manager and Head of Basketball Operations Travis Schlenk. “He is also a high-character individual and a winner, and we feel he will be a great fit with our group.”

The ACC Defensive Player of the Year, an All-ACC First Team performer and Consensus Third Team All-American, Hunter helped lead Virginia to the National Championship this past season while averaging 15.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 32.5 minutes (.520 FG%, .438 3FG%, .783 FT%), starting 38 games. He ranked second in the conference in field-goal percentage and ninth in scoring.

In 2017-18, Hunter was the ACC Sixth Man of the Year and a member of the conference’s All-Freshman team after putting up 9.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.9 minutes (.488 FG%, .382 3FG%, .755 FT%). The native of Philadelphia, PA attended Friends Central High School, where he was the Pennsylvania Class AA Player of the Year in 2015-16.

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Atlanta Hawks Acquire Draft Rights To De’Andre Hunter, Solomon Hill And Conditional 2023 Second-Round Pick From New Orleans

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ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Hawks have acquired the draft rights to forward/center Bruno Fernando, the 34th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for the draft rights to guard Jordan Bone (the 57th overall pick) and two second-round draft picks, it was announced today. 

“Bruno is a talented, young big man who has improved during his time at Maryland,” said Hawks General Manager and Head of Basketball Operations Travis Schlenk. “He has a nice combination of size, length and athleticism, and a strong work ethic, so we’re excited to add him to our roster.”

Fernando, the first native of Angola ever drafted into the NBA, played in 34 games last season for the Terps (33 starts), averaging 13.6 points, 10.6 rebounds (second in the Conference), 2.0 assists and 1.9 blocks in 30.0 minutes (Conference-best .607 FG%, .779 FT%). He was named to the All-Big Ten First Team and was First Team All-Defense.

In 2017-18, he was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team after putting up 10.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 22.4 minutes, appearing in 30 games (20 starts), hitting .578 FGs and .740 FTs. He started his prep career at Montverde Academy (FL) before transferring to IMG Academy. Fernando was born in Luanda, Angola.

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Atlanta Hawks Acquire Draft Rights To Bruno Fernando From 76ers

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Hawks have acquired guard Allen Crabbe, a conditional 2020 first-round pick and the draft rights to guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the 17th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for forward Taurean Prince and a 2021 second-round pick, it was announced today.

“Allen is a proven veteran in this league and adds another three-point threat on the wing for us. We’re happy to welcome him to the Hawks,” said Hawks General Manager and Head of Basketball Operations Travis Schlenk.

Crabbe has appeared in 344 career games (112 starts) with Portland and Brooklyn, averaging 9.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 24.6 minutes (.429 FG%, .393 3FG%, .835 FT%). Last season with the Nets, he averaged 9.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 26.3 minutes over 43 games, starting 20. Crabbe was originally selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round (31st overall) of the 2013 NBA Draft.

“On behalf of our team and organization, I’d like to thank Taurean for his contributions over his three years with the Hawks,” Schlenk said. “We wish him and his family the best of luck as he continues his career in Brooklyn.”

Prince, the 12th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by Utah, was acquired by the Hawks on July 7, 2016. He played in 196 contests (139 starts) in three seasons, putting up 11.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 25.5 minutes (.427 FG%, .380 3FG%, .823 FT%).

NBA Draft

Kobe Bufkin bringing all-around game to Atlanta

Atlanta Hawks Select Kobe Bufkin with the No. 15 Pick, Seth Lundy with the No. 46 Pick, and Acquire the Draft Rights to Mouhamed Gueye in 2023 NBA Draft

Atlanta Hawks Acquire Draft Rights To De’Andre Hunter, Solomon Hill And Conditional 2023 Second-Round Pick From New Orleans

Atlanta Hawks Acquire Draft Rights To Bruno Fernando From 76ers

Atlanta Hawks Acquire Allen Crabbe And Conditional 2020 First-Round Pick From Brooklyn Nets

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