Jeremy Sochan to Sign with Knicks. Did Rob Pelinka Make a Mistake Signing Kobe Bufkin So Fast?

Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers · Feb 12, 2026 · 17m

The buyout market generally doesn't yield impactful players. Moreover, it can be tricky to find the right guy to fill the right role -- often buyout players need to rehab their value around the league, and will choose a destination with that in mind. Cam Thomas (one high profile FA), for example, was always unlikely to sign with the Lakers because they couldn't offer him the opportunity he needed. Milwaukee could.

So over the weekend when the Lakers added Kobe Bufkin as the 15th guy, you could see it both ways - the Lakers locking up a guy that was ripping up the G-League because he was…