The Atlanta Hawks have exercised the third-year (2025-26) contract choice for Kobe Bufkin and fourth-year (2025-26) contract choice for Dyson Daniels, it was introduced right now.
Chosen by the Hawks with the fifteenth general choose within the 2023 NBA Draft, Bufkin appeared in 17 video games throughout his rookie season, notching 4.8 factors, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 11.5 minutes. The Michigan product scored his first NBA level at Milwaukee on Oct. 29, pulling down a free throw.
He noticed motion in 14 video games (all begins) with the Faculty Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League in 2023-24, averaging 23.6 factors, 5.9 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 32.0 minutes. He netted 34 factors in his Skyhawks debut on Dec. 27 towards Greensboro, marking essentially the most factors scored in a Skyhawks’ debut in membership historical past. In a win over the Motor Metropolis Cruise on Jan. 15, Bufkin tallied 12 factors, 12 assists and 5 steals in 36 minutes, changing into the primary Skyhawk in franchise historical past to contribute 10+ factors, 10+ assists and 5+ steals in a single outing.
Daniels, who was acquired by Atlanta on July 6, 2024 from New Orleans, has appeared in 4 video games (all begins) for the Hawks this season, posting 12.8 factors, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.0 block in 32.5 minutes (.500 FG%, .353 3FG%). He at present leads the NBA in complete steals (11) and deflections (28). His 28 deflections are 12 greater than the following closest gamers (Nikola Jokic, Marcus Sensible, Cason Wallace and Jonathan Mogbo all have 16 deflections).
A 2024 Panini Rising Star, Daniels recorded 1.4 steals per sport through the 2023-24 marketing campaign, the Tenth-most within the NBA, and owned a .341 steal proportion final season, rating fifth within the league (min. 50 GP). He recorded a career-high six steals at Utah on Nov. 25, changing into the one second-year participant to report not less than six steals in a single sport this previous season and considered one of solely two first-or-second 12 months gamers to take action, becoming a member of Victor Wembanyama. He recorded all six steals within the first half, tied for essentially the most steals in a single half within the NBA this previous season and tied for the second-most steals in a single half in New Orleans historical past.
Chosen eighth general within the 2022 NBA Draft by the Pelicans, the 6-7 guard owns profession averages of 5.1 factors, 3.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 20.4 minutes in 124 video games (31 begins). Previous to the Pelicans, he spent the 2021-22 season with the NBA G League Ignite, the place he was named to the 2022 Clorox Rising Stars roster.
Daniels, a local of Bendigo, Australia, performed for Australia within the 2024 Paris Olympics.
