NBA Summer League starts Thursday, and with it, a first look at certain former Boilermakers turned professional athletes.
Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Oscar Cluff and Fletcher Loyer all made the transition over to the big leagues in some capacity. Smith and Kaufman-Renn were drafted. Cluff and Loyer signed contracts as undrafted free agents.
All four players found a spot in their respective team’s Summer League roster and have started practice.
Cluff, who signed with the Houston Rockets, said the experience hasn’t “sunk in yet,” saying everything has happened quickly.
“It’s crazy being here, seeing the jerseys, the retired numbers, the trophies (and) the championships,” Cluff said during Tuesday’s practice.
The 6-foot-11 center is listed as the tallest player on the Rockets’ Summer League roster and is set to play his first game Friday against the Denver Nuggets.
Unlike Australian-native Cluff, Smith, Kaufman-Renn and Loyer played four years at Purdue. It’s the first time these players are new to any team since becoming a Boiler.
Senior guard Braden Smith dribbles around Queens NC, sophomore guard Maban Jabriel during a March 20 Round of 64 March Madness matchup at The Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
Exponent File Photo
Smith, who is now with the Indianapolis Pacers, said he strives in these environments, crediting coming in fresh as part of his success in high school and college.
“I love it,” Smith said, referring to being a new player on a team for the first time since his freshman year. “The best thing for me right now is to be able to get that new switch and start back at ground zero.”
With starting over comes new roles, especially now that the players are at the highest level.
The pre-Summer-League mini camp is an opportunity for new players to learn these roles, Kaufman-Renn said, saying the experience has been mostly learning so far.
“(Mini-camp) is a lot of trying to figure out where you fit in, how you fit in among the pieces that are already here and how you can play off of different lineups and rotations,” Kaufman-Renn said at a Monday Minnesota Timberwolves practice.
Loyer, who signed an exhibit-10 contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, said coach Matt Painter prepared him for this moment well, citing the experience from four years at Purdue as important preparation for Summer League, a sentiment Smith shared.
“For me it’s like I’m coming from one great organization to another one,” Smith said.
The four-person Boiler representation in Summer League is tied for the third most by a Big Ten team and is the most for Purdue since 2019.
Two of these Boilers, Smith and Kaufman-Renn, will face off against each other July 15 as the Pacers play the Timberwolves in Los Vegas. Before this, Smith will have his first opportunity to hit the court as a Pacer on Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Kaufman-Renn will see the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday.
These games will most likely see a different play style from what the former-Boilers are used to, as Smith said the Pacers want to be the fastest moving team in Summer League, a stark contrast to the slower moving style of Purdue.
“(Practice) feels like we’re playing Michigan State but I’m Michigan State,” Smith said.
For Kaufman-Renn, the play style so far has been “definitely different”. The power forward said being around so much high-level athleticism is to blame for the change. Cluff said something similar.
“Now I gotta move quicker, jump faster, space the floor different, it’s just incorporating that into my game,” Cluff said.
Purdue’s all-time leading 3-point shooter, Loyer, said playing in this new environment is the next step in chasing his dreams. He didn’t mention a different play style, rather he said it’s more about taking lessons from the past.
“Just taking everything I’ve learned and continue to push myself,” Loyer said.
The former-Purdue guard will have the opportunity to take the court Thursday against the Sacramento Kings.
Senior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn looks to pass during a March 14 Big Ten Tournament semifinal game against UCLA at The United Center in Chicago. Purdue totaled 21 assists to UCLA’s 18.
Andrew Coleman | Photo & Video Editor
NBA teams use Summer League as an opportunity to try different things, said Pacers Summer League head coach Johnny Carpenter. After the league comes to an end, teams will make the roster for the regular-season team, something Kaufman-Renn said he isn’t worried about right now.
“For me it’s day-by-day figuring out even the system. I haven’t even figured out all of that,” Kaufman-Renn said.
Smith said he already has confidence in his new team, saying confidence is essential for someone his size. Winning games is Smith’s goal for the summer, he said.
“I think for me my game will speak for itself. And I’ll have opportunities to show that I can guard, have opportunities to show that I can lead, have opportunities to show that I can not turn the ball over,” Smith said.
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