Braden Smith Reacts to Purdue Teammate's Transfer Portal Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Apr 11, 2025 6:54 PM ET

All-American point guard Braden Smith and the Purdue Boilermakers couldn't get it done in the first season following Zach Edey's departure, falling in the Sweet 16 to the Houston Cougars.

Purdue still had a successful year thanks to Smith and breakout forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, finishing 24-12 and 4th in the Big Ten. If both players were to return for the 2025-26 college basketball season, the Boilermakers could be right back in title contention.

However, they will have to do it without a potential key contributor as Purdue sophomore forward Camden Heide has entered the transfer portal, revealing the news with an Instagram post.

"Forever grateful for my time at Purdue!" Heide wrote on Tuesday. "I’m extremely blessed for all the memories, relationships, and experiences I’ve had. Excited for the next chapter. Thank you, Boiler Nation!"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Camden Heide (@cam.heide)

Smith, who has played with Heide for two seasons now, shared his farewell in the comment section with a simple response: "."

Heide was a three-star prospect coming out of Wayzata High School (Minneapolis, MN) in the class of 2022 (247Sports). Ranking top 150 nationally, Heide earned numerous offers from top-tier programs, including Ohio State and Texas, but ultimately picked Purdue.

After redshirting in 2022-23, Heide didn't see much action in his first season, averaging 3.3 points in 12.4 minutes per game. His minutes went up to 19.6 per game this past season, receiving the starting nod eight times.

Heide's averages also went up to 4.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, but his efficiency from the field (57.6% to 49.1%) and 3-point range (45.0% to 39.2%) both dropped as well.

One of Heide's best college outings may have come in Purdue's 2025 first-round win over High Point, where he tallied a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes of action.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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