What Latest Trey Kaufman-Renn Update Means for Timberwolves

Trey Kaufman-Renn, whom the Timberwolves selected No. 59 out of Purdue in this year’s draft, recently filed a motion suing the NCAA to grant him eligibility to return to college for a sixth season.

Wednesday afternoon, the Indy Star reported Kaufman-Renn was granted a temporary restraining order allowing him to pursue a signing with a college team for the 2026-27 season.

So, what would Kaufman-Renn returning to college mean for Minnesota?

Trey Kaufman-Renn saga changes very little for Timberwolves in reality

Kaufman-Renn played for Minnesota’s Las Vegas Summer League team, averaging 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds on 52.6% from the floor across five games. Lacking athleticism and an outside shot, Kaufman-Renn did not look NBA-ready during his time in Las Vegas, which makes sense for a player the Wolves selected so late in the draft.

A common path teams take when signing late second-round draft picks is to sign them to a two-way contract, which allows the player to play a maximum of 50 regular-season NBA games (none in the playoffs) while spending a good chunk of their time with the team’s G League affiliate.

The Wolves did that with Rocco Zikarsky, their No. 45 pick from 2025, by signing him to a two-year, two-way contract. Zikarsky, along with Zyon Pullin, who impressed at Summer League this year, and Enrique Freeman, who is an athletic forward with solid rebounding skills, already occupied the maximum of three two-way spots the Wolves can employ.

Therefore, Minnesota would have needed to waive one of those players to sign Kaufman-Renn to a two-way deal. Additionally, the Wolves could have signed him to their final standard roster spot, which would have carried a minimal salary cap hit. However, with Kaufman-Renn returning to college, that spot will remain open for the Wolves to do as they see fit.

President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly is not required to fill his final roster spot. He could leave it open to begin the season, giving himself flexibility to make a trade or sign a free agent on the buyout market later in the year.

If he does look to fill that 15th roster spot, though, Kevin Love is a name to look out for, as both the Wolves and Love have some level of mutual interest in a reunion, according to Jon Krawczynski.

There is “some mutual interest” between Kevin Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves, per @JonKrawczynski

(h/t @TWolvesNationCP) pic.twitter.com/EJ4xYw2sXw
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) September 4, 2026

Kaufman-Renn could sign with the Wolves next offseason as a more complete, NBA-ready player

From what I can find in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, it appears the Wolves will be able to hold onto Kaufman-Renn’s exclusive rights to sign him to an NBA contract for essentially one year if they make the required tender to hold onto his rights.

Theoretically, Kaufman-Renn could return to college and develop his game with greater emphasis on the pace and physicality he saw at the Summer League, which is exponentially higher in the NBA.

The Wolves are reportedly in full support of Kaufman-Renn’s attempt to return to college for a sixth season. Perhaps they will sign him in a year from now. Maybe he looks more like a legitimate NBA talent by then.

But after his showing in the Summer League, and with the roster flexibility the Wolves will have, Kaufmann-Renn returning to college is a good thing for a Minnesota team that likely won't need his services this season anyway.

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