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Purdue Produces Multiple NBA Draft Picks for First Time in 15 Years

During the second round of the NBA Draft, both Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn were picked. It's the first time multiple Boilers have been taken since 2011.
Dustin Schutte|
Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) celebrates a basket with forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (4).
Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) celebrates a basket with forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (4). | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

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Purdue Boilermakers

Wednesday was a good night for the Purdue basketball program. Both Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn were selected in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft, ending a 15-year drought without producing multiple picks in the same class.

Smith was selected at No. 38 by the Chicago Bulls, a pick that was then traded to the Indiana Pacers. That means the Westfield, Ind. native will be starting his professional career in his home state.

With the 59th pick, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Kaufman-Renn. He worked his way up from a G-League Combine invitation to hearing his name called during the draft.

Smith and Kaufman-Renn became the first Purdue duo to be selected in the same NBA Draft since 2011. That year, JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore were selected in the same class. Johnson was taken No. 27 in the first round by the New Jersey Nets, a pick later traded to the Boston Celtics.

Moore was the selected by Boston in the second round with the No. 55 pick.

During their careers at Purdue, Smith and Kaufman-Renn won two Big Ten regular-season championships, two Big Ten Tournament titles, made four NCAA Tournament appearances and reached the National Championship Game in 2024.

They were part of the winningest senior class in program history.

Fletcher Loyer, Oscar Cluff await Summer League opportunities

Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) celebrates with center Oscar Cluff (45).
Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) celebrates with center Oscar Cluff (45). | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Wednesday night was exciting for Smith and Kaufman-Renn, it was a bit disappointing for a few other Boilermakers. Fellow seniors Fletcher Loyer and Oscar Cluff did not get their names called during the NBA Draft.

That means both Loyer and Cluff will have to await a call from teams to potentially join their NBA Summer League rosters. Both are likely to receive those opportunities and will get the chance to prove themselves in that environment.

It's likely that all four Purdue seniors will be active in the coming weeks on NBA Summer League rosters. Both Smith and Kaufman-Renn will assuredly be on those rosters for their teams. It will be interesting to see which teams give Loyer or Cluff an opportunity.

Both Loyer and Cluff worked out for multiple teams since the conclusion of the college basketball season. We'll see what kind of impression they made on those franchises.

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Dustin Schutte
DUSTIN SCHUTTE

Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.

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