The Sacramento Kings have no shortage of headlines as the 2026-27 NBA season approaches, and that’s part of why Nique Clifford keeps slipping through the cracks.
Darius Acuff Jr. is the shiny new name after going seventh overall, and he backed up the hype with 19 points and four assists in his preseason debut. Ben Simmons’ comeback adds another layer. So do the familiar names still on the roster, with Damontas Sabonis and Zach LaVine in the mix, plus Keegan Murray working his way back healthy and trying to reestablish himself.
All of that noise has pushed Clifford into the background, even though he may be one of the most important pieces in Sacramento’s rebuild.
Among the Kings’ second-year players, Clifford is the one easiest to overlook. Maxime Raynaud comes in after an All-Rookie season, and Dylan Cardwell already has the kind of fan support that makes him hard to miss. Still, Clifford’s path looks the clearest when it comes to carving out a real rotational role.
Raynaud is expected to be right there with him in the minutes race, but Clifford doesn’t face the same positional squeeze. LaVine also appears to be entering what could be his final season in Sacramento, while Sabonis still has two years left on his deal. Sabonis and Raynaud could wind up splitting time again, with Cardwell in the mix too.
That’s why Clifford can get lost so easily. He may not be the player who jumps off the screen or fills up the box score in a flashy way, but he keeps showing signs that he can help a team win.
He gave the Kings one of their few bright spots in their preseason opener, a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Clifford put up 23 points, nine rebounds and two assists, shooting 8-of-13 from the field and hitting one of his two 3-pointers.
The biggest number from that night was his 10 free throw attempts. He made six of them, but the volume matters.
Last season, Clifford averaged just 1.3 free throw attempts per game, and he had more than five only once, when he took nine against GSW. He was also the only Kings player to finish with a positive plus minus in the loss.
It was only one preseason game, but it offered a reminder that Clifford’s value may show up in the places that don’t always grab the spotlight. While Acuff, the defense, and the rest of the Kings’ storyline machine keep drawing attention, Clifford could be the one quietly making the rebuild work. Taking a second-year leap and staking claim to the starting shooting guard spot would matter plenty for Sacramento - maybe even more than it first appears.
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