SACRAMENTO, CA - OCTOBER 23: Nique Clifford #10 of the Sacramento Kings high fives fans as he runs onto the court prior to the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 23, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) (NBAE via Getty Images) Kurt Helin · NBC Sports Sun, November 8, 2026 at 8:25 PM UTC · 1 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Second-year wing Nique Clifford was not getting much run in Sacramento, he was unimpressive in Summer League, but the real question has been: Is that because Clifford is not really an NBA player, or is it because of the Kings and coach Doug Christie's player development and usage?
The Oklahoma City Thunder are betting on the latter, as they have agreed to trade for Clifford from the Kings for two second-round picks (Utah's 2028 and Minnesota's 2030), a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN .
The Thunder are looking for wing depth after potential season-ending injuries to Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace.
Clifford, the No. 24 pick in 2025 out of Colorado State, had largely fallen out of the Kings' rotation, and the team worked with him to find a new home, Charania reports. Clifford will make $3.3 million this season and $3.4 million next season, with a team option for nearly $6 million for 2028-29.
Clifford, a 6'5" wing, was averaging 6.3 minutes per game for the Kings, averaging 1.6 points per game on 35.3% shooting. Will putting him in the Thunder system and their development program change things for the 24-year-old? The Thunder are betting yes.
The Kings have just 13 players on the roster and have two weeks to add a 14th player to meet the league minimum.
Source: Sports
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