The Sacramento Kings are hoping to continue building up their roster to make a run in the Western Conference of the NBA with their pick of Nique Clifford. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, has made it known that they were shopping the 24th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. This made the two a perfect matchup for a swap, as the Kings acquired Nique Clifford with the draft slot. This was the first and only pick the Kings made in the first round, having no pick of their own until round 2. Let’s take a deeper dive into what this pick means for the Sacramento Kings going forward.
Sacramento Kings Select Nique Clifford
Nique Clifford played 36 games for Colorado State in the NCAA Men’s basketball league this season, and in 35.4 minutes, he averaged 18.9 points, 4.4 assists, 9.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. He shot 49.6% from the field and 37.7% from 3-point range. He projects as one of the most pro-ready college players in the draft this year and should immediately contribute as part of the Sacramento Kings lineup. He has maturity and ability as a two-way player, though he needs to work on his outside shooting and overall physicality.
Clifford was 15 on my big board. He can shoot, rebound, and defend at a very high level. At 6-foot-6, he was the shortest player in Division l basketball who averaged at least 9.5 rebounds per game.
— Cameron Salerno (@cameronsalerno1) June 26, 2025
This could pay immediate dividends for the Sacramento Kings, whose goal is to not just make the playoffs, but make a push immediately. While Clifford will not be a superstar, he is ready to plug in and add value immediately, offering another look and added depth to a team desperately hoping to prove themselves. The Kings may have gotten a steal here if they can execute their plan moving forward.
Final Thoughts
This leaves the Sacramento Kings with a younger guard to pair with their aging roster, and also may influence some of their lineup decisions moving forward, with two Power Forwards projected to leave in free agency and fellow shooting guard Keon Ellis as a restricted free agent. Sacramento wanted to jump up into the first round to add some young talent to their roster, and they were able to do exactly that with this trade and pick.
