Two former Purdue guards are heading into NBA training camp with something to prove, and both earned the chance after making noise in July.
Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer were among the former Boilermakers who took part in NBA Summer League action, and now each has landed on a training camp roster as a rookie. Smith is with the Indiana Pacers, while Loyer will go through camp with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Smith’s move was expected. He was taken in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls before being traded right away to his hometown Pacers. Loyer’s path was less direct, since he went undrafted before the Clippers brought him in for Summer League and then kept him around for camp.
Not every former Purdue player got the same kind of next step. Trey Kaufman-Renn was not listed on the Minnesota Timberwolves’ training camp roster, even though he was picked late in the second round of the NBA Draft. He is currently trying to return to college basketball for a sixth season.
Kaufman-Renn was granted a temporary restraining order and is permitted to pursue college options. His eligibility for the 2026-27 season at the NCAA level is still tied up in a court case.
Oscar Cluff also got a Summer League look, playing for the Houston Rockets, but his professional path is already set elsewhere. He has signed with Glint Korfez Basket in Turkey, a team that competes in the Basketball Super League and the Basketball Champions League.
Smith and Loyer both finished their Purdue careers last season after spending their entire college run in West Lafayette. Smith left with 1,103 assists, which set a new NCAA record. He was a two-time All-American, won Big Ten Player of the Year and the Bob Cousy Award in 2025, and helped lead Purdue to two Big Ten regular-season titles and two Big Ten Tournament championships.
Loyer closed out his career as Purdue’s all-time leader in made 3-pointers. He hit 309 triples over four seasons, moving past Carsen Edwards for the top spot in the record book.
Another former Boilermaker is also getting ready for the NBA season. Zach Edey has been cleared and is “full go” for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Edey has dealt with injuries in his first two professional seasons, but there’s optimism around his status as the new year begins. Memphis may hold him back some in preseason action as a precaution, though he should be ready for the regular-season opener.
Last season, Edey played in just 11 games and averaged 13.6 points and 11.1 rebounds. As a rookie, the 7-foot-4 center appeared in 66 games and posted 9.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest.
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For the men, Jaden Cox and Zach Jacobsen are part of the group representing a team that will be judged on how its returning pieces fit together again. On the womens side, attention lands on new additions Wickstrom and Hunter, two players whose presence hints at the next layer of Gearlds rotation. Media days do not settle anything, of course, but they do offer a first snapshot of where the questions are for Purdue, and which players are already positioned to answer them. [Read more 🡒]