The Sacramento Kings didn’t hesitate on Nique Clifford’s future, locking in his third-year option even as his role in the rotation has become hard to pin down.
That move matters because Sacramento has made a habit of swinging into the first round when it sees a fit. Scott Perry has already traded into both drafts he’s overseen, landing pick 24 from the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2025 and pick 29 from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2026. Late first-round picks come with control, and that’s exactly what the Kings preserved here.
Clifford is set to make just over $3.4 million next season, which works out to 1.94% of the cap according to Spotrac, only .04% less than his current number. In the apron era, that kind of deal is useful currency. Even if a team isn’t totally sold on a player long term, it still makes sense to keep him on the books as a trade piece, especially when he barely takes up any cap space.
There’s also the simple basketball case for keeping him around. Clifford has been productive when he’s played.
Cleaning the Glass says the Kings were 9.7 points better with him on the floor last season, the best mark on the team. He may not be the backup point guard Sacramento wants, and he may not be ready to start for a playoff team, but he has clearly helped when he’s been out there.
His game has translated in the ways that usually keep players in the league: defense, rebounding, ball movement, and lineups flexibility. He looks like an NBA rotation player, which is no small thing for someone drafted near the end of the first round. The question now is whether the Kings view him as part of the future or just an asset they can use somewhere else.
That uncertainty is what makes his current usage so strange. Clifford played 16 minutes in the season opener against the Los Angeles Clippers, though most of that came once the game was already out of reach.
He then logged only two minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers and was a DNP-coach's decision last night against the Memphis Grizzlies. Is that the start of a real trend, or just Doug Christie trying anything and everything to steal a win?
The minutes picture has gotten even more puzzling because Clifford has been available while other options have soaked up the floor time. Recent two-way signee Leaky Black got on the court briefly, while Clifford and fellow first-round pick Alex Karaban watched from the bench all night.
With Keegan Murray sidelined, there still should be room for Clifford. Instead, Emmanuel Sharp, Daeqwon Plowden, and De’Andre Hunter have handled most of those minutes, and while Sharp and Plowden have helped, Hunter has not.
Christie is in a tough spot. He is coaching to save his job, trying to keep the Kings out of the relegation zone and develop Darius Acuff Jr. into the face of the franchise at the same time. But the numbers still point toward Clifford being more useful to winning than Hunter, LaVine, and several others getting heavy run every night.
That’s why the decision feels bigger than one roster move. Sacramento has already burned through too many young players too quickly, with Neemias Queta, Davion Mitchell, Keon Ellis, and others all finding bigger roles elsewhere after being moved on from.
If Clifford isn’t seen as part of the long-term core, the Kings would be wise to act now while he still has two more seasons of team control. The alternative is repeating the same mistake again.
In Other News...
Sabonis Is Doing Something Historic For The Kings Already
Domantas Sabonis has wasted no time setting the tone for Sacramentos season. In the first three games, he collected 52 rebounds, a post-merger NBA record that moved him past Moses Malones old mark, and he has opened the year as the leagues rebounds-per-game leader while also handling a big share of the Kings playmaking.
For a team that has already taken some early losses, Sabonis has still given Sacramento a steady offensive hub and a nightly reason to believe the floor is higher than the record suggests. His improved shooting percentages from last season only add to the picture, giving the Kings a centerpiece who is producing at a historic level while the rest of the season is still just beginning. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Veterans Are Suddenly In A Trade Debate Sacramento Can't Avoid
The Kings veteran core is already drawing leaguewide attention, and it is not hard to see why. ESPN analyst Anthony Slater recently framed Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk as players who could come up in trade conversations, with LaVines expiring deal standing out as a particularly movable piece if the market shifts during the season.
For Sacramento, the real issue is bigger than one players value. The front office has to decide how long it wants to keep leaning on established veterans while also making room for younger talent that needs development time, and that balance could shape the roster as the season unfolds. Sabonis and Monk also figure to remain part of that discussion if other teams needs change and the Kings are forced to weigh fit against flexibility. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Frontcourt Shakeup Could Create An Unexpected Opening
The Kings frontcourt has been thinned out all at once, with Keegan Murray set for a re-evaluation in 10-14 days because of an ankle injury and Maxime Raynaud out at least two more weeks with a knee issue. Dylan Cardwell will miss at least another week with a calf injury, leaving Sacramento to patch together its size and rotation in the short term while the team waits for bodies to return.
For now, that uncertainty opens the door for others to absorb more responsibility. De'Andre Hunter and Precious Achiuwa are positioned for larger minutes, while two-way player Jonathan Mogbo has already seen his role grow in recent games. The ripple effect could also make the back end of the roster worth watching, with Nique Clifford and Alex Karaban still sitting on the bubble as the Kings sort through the frontcourt shuffle. [Read more 🡒]