The Hawks shut down guard Kobe Bufkin for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
The team announced Wednesday that it reached the decision after further evaluation and additional medical opinions. Bufkin will have surgery Jan. 7 to address instability in his right shoulder.
As a result of the surgery and recovery time, Bufkin will miss the remainder of the season, but the Hawks expect him to make a full recovery for the 2025-26 season.
Bufkin appeared in 10 games this season for the Hawks after missing time earlier this season because of right shoulder subluxation. The same injury forced Bufkin to miss Summer League in Las Vegas.
The Hawks drafted Bufkin with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, and he provided the Hawks with minutes as their primary ball handler whenever guard Trae Young went to the bench. Through 27 career games, he has averaged five points, two rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
Though the Hawks dealt with multiple injuries to start the season, they’ve been fortunate that the team has been relatively healthy since.
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