Pelicans waive Kobe Bufkin and Jalon Moore to reach the regular season limit
The Pelicans announced on Saturday, Oct. 17, that guard Kobe Bufkin and forward Jalon Moore had been placed on waivers, trimming the roster to 18 players, 15 on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.
NEW ORLEANS: The Pelicans made their final cuts of the preseason on Saturday, Oct. 17, announcing that guard Kobe Bufkin and forward Jalon Moore had been placed on waivers.
Hoops Rumors and ClutchPoints both reported the team announcement on Saturday, and the RealGM transaction history for New Orleans lists both players as placed on waivers on Oct. 17. The moves bring the Pelicans down to the regular season roster limit, according to Hoops Rumors.
What the final roster looks like
New Orleans now carries 18 players in total, 15 on standard contracts and three on two-way contracts, according to ClutchPoints and the roster report carried by NewsBeep, which published the full list of the 15 players on standard deals. Inside that standard group, 14 players hold fully guaranteed contracts and forward Trendon Watford is on a partially guaranteed deal, according to Hoops Rumors. All three two-way slots are filled, according to Hoops Rumors and ClutchPoints.
Bufkin, a first-round pick looking for a foothold
Bufkin, 23, is a 6-foot-4 guard who was selected by Atlanta with the 15th pick in the 2023 draft, and he has played 43 NBA games over three seasons, according to Hoops Rumors and ClutchPoints. He appeared in 16 games with the Lakers last season and signed a training camp deal with the Pelicans in July, according to Hoops Rumors.
In the preseason, Bufkin appeared in three games for New Orleans and averaged 5.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game, according to ClutchPoints, with the points and rebounds averages also carried by NewsBeep.
Moore, back from a torn Achilles
Moore, a 6-foot-7 forward, suffered a torn Achilles shortly before the 2025 draft and was able to play three games with the Pelicans Summer League team this year before coming to camp on an Exhibit 10 deal, according to Hoops Rumors. ClutchPoints also reported three Summer League appearances for Moore, with averages of 6.0 points and 4.0 rebounds. Hoops Rumors described Moore as a strong candidate to end up with the Pelicans G League affiliate.
The waivers close the roster work of the preseason, and the group left after the cuts is the roster the Pelicans carry into the regular season, at the limit Hoops Rumors reported the moves were made to reach.
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