Trey Kaufman-Renn Has the Makings of a Quiet Timberwolves Success Story

Trey Kaufman-Renn showed his maturity the first time he talked to me. I asked him a pretty basic question after the first practice of Summer League camp.

“Have you been able to explore the city (Minneapolis) at all?

“(The hotel) most of the time you know," he said. "I went to the public library that we have here that was really cool but I’m just chillin' in the (hotel).”

After the obvious follow-up questions on what books he was looking for and why the library, Kaufman-Renn responded with a smile.

“I wanted to go in, it actually clears my mind a lot, but I like looking at the philosophy section and seeing what they have… especially during the draft I’d always go to like a Barnes and Noble.”

Kaufman-Renn is a 23-year-old who was drafted in the second round of the NBA draft, and the first thing he did in a new city was check out the local public library for philosophy books and enjoy the quiet. The answer was not very flashy, but also now having seen Kaufman-Renn play in summer league, it fits his game and NBA path to a tee.

Trey Kaufman-Renn can help Timberwolves without demanding the spotlight

Kaufman-Renn played four seasons at Purdue, starting 112 games and playing in 147 total as a traditional post-up power forward in the Boilermakers' throwback offensive system. The 6-foot-8 forward made his name as being the consistent do-it-all player.

As a junior, he led the team in scoring with 20.1 points per game. As a senior, the team didn’t need the same scoring punch, so he developed his rebounding—going from 6.5 boards per game to 8.3.

Kaufman-Renn’s game at Purdue wasn’t flashy, but it consisted of good positioning for rebounds, smart decisions passing out of the post, and a unique push shot that proved to be quite effective at scoring in the paint. The first sentence from his draft profile at NBADraft.net explains it perfectly:

“Kaufman-Renn is a unique interior scorer whose game doesn’t always pass the traditional eye test but consistently produces results.”

Kaufman-Renn in Summer League showed his skill set. In 63.6 total minutes across the five games, he scored 33 points on 10 of 19 shooting and 6 of 6 from the free throw line, snagged 19 rebounds and dished three assists, while logging five steals.

When he played, he showed off the push shot from inside the free throw line, as well as an ability to draw contact off of pump fakes and drives. He also moved the ball well, only turning the ball over four times, and looked like a professional.

To be clear, it wasn’t flashy. His points came from outworking and with a lot of physicality. On defense, he showed he could switch and defend the post, but it wasn’t a smooth process that led to steals or picking off passes—he thrived more out-muscling opponents and enforcing his will.

The rebounds came from battling for position and wanting it more than anyone else, something Kaufman-Renn explained to me after the Wolves 111-85 loss to Portland in Las Vegas.

“Really it’s just thinking the game, somebody shoots on the opposite side of the floor you go to the other side, there’s tricks to the trade but at the end of the day you kind of have to want the ball… I really think it’s as simple as to get the ball”

Kaufman-Renn’s game in a lot of ways is just as exciting as going to the library. It’s quiet, and based on knowledge, which separates from him from many of his peers.

Kaufman-Renn is looking to make to the Timberwolves main roster as a guaranteed contract or two-way player. For Wolves fans, though, Summer League at least provided a glimpse of a rare kind of player

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