Hoops Nightly
Bronny James
Lakers · G · 22
Bronny James
vs
2025-26
Kobe Bufkin
Free agent · G · 23
Kobe Bufkin
Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

Bronny James vs Kobe Bufkin

11-5categories
James · Bufkin
Bronny James
James
Lakers
2025-26
Bufkin
Free agent
Kobe Bufkin
42
Games
availability
16
8.9
Minutes
per game
7.5
2.9
Points
per game
2.9
0.5
Rebounds
per game
0.8
1.2
Assists
per game
0.6
0.6
Steals + blocks
per game
0.3
0.6
Turnovers
per game · lower is better
0.3
40.9%
Field goal %
30.0%
38.6%
Three-point %
1.4 vs 1.6 attempts
19.2%
85.7%
Free throw %
91.7%
51.7%
True shooting
TS%
41.6%
16.3%
Usage
USG%
21.9%
19.5%
Assist %
of teammates' baskets
12.8%
3.2%
Rebound %
of available
5.5%
-8.0
Net rating
on court
-30.2
5.8%
PIE
player impact estimate
3.8%
-1.0
Plus-minus
per game
-4.3
Bars show each player's share of the pair's total; the better number is in the club's color (turnovers: fewer is better).

Where the gap is

from the numbers above

Kobe Bufkin scored more in 2025-26, 0.0 points a game apart (2.9 vs 2.9), on Bufkin's heavier usage (21.9% vs 16.3%).

James is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 51.7% to 41.6%; TS% folds threes and free throws into one number, so the gap survives shot-diet differences.

Playmaking goes to James (1.2 vs 0.6 assists), the glass to Bufkin (0.8 vs 0.5 rebounds).

Availability is part of the comparison: James played 26 more games (42 vs 16 of 82).

With James on the floor his team outscored opponents by -8.0 per 100 possessions, against -30.2 for Bufkin; on-court net rating carries the teammates with it, so read it next to PIE.

On the books for 2026-27: James $2.3M through 2027-28, Bufkin — through —. Whether either fits a trade is a Trade Machine question, not a stat one.

Splits

2025-26 · from the game logs
James
2025-26
Bufkin
24-18
Record when playing
10-6
2.1
Points at home
2.3
4.1
Points on the road
4.8
2.5
Points in wins
1.9
3.4
Points in losses
4.5
12
Season high
9
0
30-point games
0
0
Double-doubles
0

Last games & contracts

test a trade in the Trade Machine →
James · last 5
Fri, Oct 16 vs DEN0 pts · 1 reb · 1 ast
Tue, Oct 13 vs GSW0 pts · 1 reb · 0 ast
Thu, Oct 8 vs SAC4 pts · 4 reb · 6 ast
Tue, Oct 6 at GSW4 pts · 1 reb · 5 ast
Mon, Oct 5 at SAC3 pts · 5 reb · 2 ast
Bufkin · last 5
Fri, Oct 16 vs WAS0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Wed, Oct 14 at DAL0 pts · 1 reb · 0 ast
Thu, Oct 8 at MIA9 pts · 1 reb · 1 ast
Tue, Oct 6 at OKC6 pts · 1 reb · 0 ast
Thu, Apr 9 at GSW2 pts · 0 reb · 1 ast
James · contract
2026-27$2.3M
2027-28team option$2.5M
Bufkin · contract
No contract on file (free agent, two-way, or not yet signed).

More comparisons

pick any two players →
James vs
Tyus Jones · Cam Christie · AJ Johnson · Chaz Lanier
Bufkin vs
Bronny James · Tyus Jones · Cam Christie · AJ Johnson

Per-game numbers and percentages are 2025-26 regular season from stats.nba.com; splits and last games from our own game logs; contract figures are cap hits from public salary data and can lag a signing by a day. Bold marks the better number in each row (turnovers: fewer is better).