The Sacramento Kings have opened Summer League with a 4-0 run across the California Classic and Las Vegas, and the spotlight has mostly landed where you’d expect. Darius Acuff Jr. is drawing the kind of attention that comes with being the seventh pick in the NBA draft, while Emanuel Sharp is already making noise with his defense and energy.
Lost a little in that buzz is Nique Clifford, who has been doing a steady, useful version of the job on both ends without much fanfare. He had the game-winner in the first California Classic matchup, but since then he’s mostly stayed out of the headlines. That doesn’t mean he’s been quiet on the floor.
Clifford appears to be taking a backseat at times as the younger guys get their reps, and that fits both the moment and the way he played last season. As a rookie, he averaged 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 41.8% from the field and 33.3% from three. Those aren’t eye-popping numbers, but they tell the story of a player who impacts the game in a lot of different ways.
So far in three Summer League games, Clifford has put up 12.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, shooting 45.2% overall and 30% from beyond the arc. It’s not flashy production, but it’s the kind of all-around contribution that helps a team function.
That profile makes him a natural fit next to Acuff, who has already stepped into the lead role for Sacramento. Clifford doesn’t need the ball to make an impact, and that matters when a roster is trying to round into shape.
There’s also value in the reps themselves. Clifford needed time last season to settle in alongside the veterans, and while he flashed in Summer League, he often faded once he was sharing the floor with Russell Westbrook, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, and others. This summer gives him and Acuff a chance to build chemistry in real time.
That connection is already starting to show. While mic’d up, Acuff was heard saying he was looking for Clifford to cut for the lob.
Clifford still needs to sharpen his efficiency, both compared with last season and with what he’s shown so far in Summer League. But he’s clearly comfortable playing beside what the Kings hope is a future star.
He may not be the guy who grabs the headlines, but he looks like the kind of smart, versatile role player Perry has been gathering since last offseason and into this summer. If Sacramento is going to get back to the playoffs and eventually push toward championship contention, players like Clifford are going to matter.
Early on, he looks capable of filling that lane.
In Other News...
Kings Are Putting Darius Acuff Jr. In A Tough Spot Already
Darius Acuff Jr. is being asked to do a lot already, and Sacramentos guard picture only makes the assignment tougher. The rookie has been pushed into the starting point guard role because the Kings are thin at the position, with a crowded roster that still leaves the backcourt looking unfinished and little proven help behind him.
Isaiah Stevens could become part of the answer if he shows enough in summer action, and the Kings also have a few different ways to keep searching for help. Malik Monk remains on the roster and could be moved if the right opportunity comes along, while undrafted guards like Milos Uzan and Nick Boyd are the kind of developmental names Sacramento may have to consider as it tries to give Acuff some breathing room. [Read more 🡒]
Kings May Have Found Another Raynaud Style Rotation Answer
Emanuel Sharp has wasted no time giving Sacramento a reason to lean in after the 2026 NBA Draft. The Kings took the guard with the 45th pick, and his early Summer League work has looked the part of a player who can at least force his way into the conversation, from a strong showing in the California Classic to a debut in Las Vegas that turned heads for more than just his scoring. For a team that spent last season near the bottom in defense and at the back of the league in made threes, any young perimeter piece who can help on both ends is going to get a long look.
The caution, of course, is that Summer League can flatter almost anyone for a week or two, and Sacramento knows better than to crown a rookie on July results alone. Still, Sharp has done enough to create a real buzz around the Kings' backcourt mix, especially with Darius Acuff Jr. saying Sharp has been the team's best player over the last few games. Whether that holds once the games count is a different question, but the early signs have been encouraging enough to make him one of the more interesting names in camp. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Fans Can Feel This Kuminga Pursuit Getting Complicated
The Kings have spent the offseason trying to keep their options open, and Jonathan Kuminga has quickly become one of the more intriguing names on their radar. Sacramentos improved salary-cap flexibility gives it more room to work than it had before, but the club is still operating in a range where a straightforward free-agent payday may not be realistic for a player drawing this much attention.
That is where the pursuit starts to get tricky. A sign-and-trade appears to be the cleanest path if the Kings want to stay in the conversation, but they are hardly alone in trying to thread that needle, and the market around Kuminga could end up deciding which team is willing and able to go the furthest. For Sacramento, the interest is real, but so are the financial hurdles standing in the way. [Read more 🡒]