The Sacramento Kings may not be drawing much optimism heading into next season, but there are still a few reasons to watch. Darius Acuff Jr. arrives with hopes of becoming the next franchise star, while Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and Malik Monk remain on the roster for now.
If the Kings are going to matter this year, they’ll need more than just their veterans and top newcomers. They’ll need young players to level up.
That puts a spotlight on Nique Clifford. The second-year wing didn’t grab the same attention as Maxime Raynaud last season, but he put together a quietly useful rookie year.
Clifford showed he can contribute in a lot of different ways and help a team win, even when the box score doesn’t scream for attention. The issue is that one part of his game still needs real work.
Clifford finished last season averaging 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 41.8% from the field and 33.3% from three. The overall efficiency can improve, but the biggest swing factor is his perimeter shooting. If Clifford makes a leap in that area, it changes the picture for both him and Sacramento.
The numbers by defender distance tell the story. Clifford hit 25% of his threes when he was “Tightly” covered, 35.4% on “Open” looks, and 32.6% on “Wide-Open” attempts.
That’s not the usual pattern. Ideally, the cleanest looks are the ones that fall most often, but Clifford actually shot better when a defender was closer to him.
With Acuff expected to run the offense, the Kings should get more open looks across the board this season. Clifford has been mentioned as a possible secondary ball handler and even someone who could get backup point guard minutes, but his clearest path is as a 3-and-D player who handles the little things well. That kind of role is always in demand in a league where three-point shooting runs everything.
Defense is already an area where Clifford has shown promise. Shooting is the real question.
If his overall three-point percentage climbs, that helps everyone. But at the very least, the wide-open chances need to start dropping at a better rate.
There is already a sign that the connection with Acuff can work, since Clifford knocked down a game-winning three in Summer League.
DARIUS ACUFF TO NIQUE CLIFFORD FOR THE WIN. 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/GKaf87S3O3
Among the 208 players who took at least 100 wide-open threes last season, Clifford’s 32.6% was tied for 18th worst. That makes it a glaring area to target, especially because it’s the kind of shot teams hope to turn into automatic offense. If this turns into a make-or-break season for Clifford in Sacramento, his three-point shooting - especially the clean looks created by Acuff and others - will be under the microscope.
In Other News...
Tyrese Haliburton Just Revealed A Draft Night Twist Pacers Fans Will Feel
Tyrese Haliburtons draft-night path had a little more intrigue than most people knew. In a recent revelation, he said he and his agents reached out to the Phoenix Suns before the 2020 NBA Draft in hopes of landing there and teaming up with Devin Booker, but Phoenix went in a different direction and selected Jalen Smith instead. Haliburton ended up going 12th overall to Sacramento, setting in motion a career that quickly took him far beyond the usual lottery-night what-ifs.
He later became a franchise cornerstone with Indiana after the Kings traded him away, turning into an All-Star-level guard and an All-NBA talent before his career hit another sharp turn with a torn Achilles that wiped out his 2025-26 season. Now healthy again and preparing for his comeback, Haliburtons disclosure adds another layer to a draft story that already looks very different in hindsight, especially for Pacers fans who got the version of him that blossomed in Indianapolis. [Read more 🡒]
Kings First 10 Games Will Show If This Rebuild Feels Different
The NBAs 2026-27 schedule has now given the Kings their first real measuring stick, and the opening stretch looks like the kind that can reveal a lot before autumn turns to winter. Sacramento is set to see a mix of heavy hitters and more manageable opponents right out of the gate, with matchups against the Spurs, Heat, Lakers and Mavericks balanced by games against the Grizzlies, Clippers, Blazers and Pelicans.
For a team trying to show its rebuild is headed somewhere new, the first 10 games may matter as much as any midseason hot streak. Projections have the Kings tracking toward something similar to last season, but a steady start against a schedule that includes both playoff-level pressure and chances to bank wins would be a meaningful sign that this group is starting to look different in ways that last. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Stat Race Could Reveal A Major Shift In The Rotation
The Kings rotation is already drawing a surprising amount of interest for a season that still sits out ahead, because the usual statistical pecking order may not look all that usual by the time 2026-27 arrives. Domantas Sabonis still profiles as the safest bet to lead the team in rebounds and assists, while rookie Darius Acuff Jr. could immediately push into the scoring conversation and Dylan Cardwell looks like the front-runner to anchor the blocks category.
What makes the exercise more revealing for Sacramento is how much it depends on unresolved playing time questions around Zach LaVine and Emanuel Sharp. If those two are featured more heavily than expected, the whole stat race could tilt in a different direction, and that would say plenty about how the Kings are choosing to build their nightly rotation. [Read more 🡒]