Kings have assigned Nique Clifford to the G League, but it's not what you think

It was recently announced that the Sacramento Kings have assigned Nique Clifford to play for their G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings. Thanks to the NBA Cup schedule, the Kings have a lot of long gaps in the next week or so, and they likely want to make sure that Nique continues to develop.

When the news dropped that Nique Clifford was heading to the G League, there was a lot of confusion. The main reason for that was that he's been getting regular minutes and playing really well. Both he and Maxime Raynaud have been doing good work for the Kings as rookies.

It's important to understand that this isn't a Devin Carter situation. Carter was also recently assigned to the G League because the Kings basically never put him on the court, and he doesn't do much with the minutes on the rare occasion that Sacramento actually puts him to work.

Nique is in the exact opposite situation. Cliffor is getting an increasing number of minutes and is playing better and better every time he's in the game. If he's moving to the G League right now, it's because the Sacramento Kings don't want him to lose his edge over the next several days.

Why Nique Clifford is Stockton Kings bound

The most likely reason Clifford is heading to Stockton is because of the NBA Cup. Sacramento played Indiana last night, has two days off, plays the Wolves, and then has another three days off before they take on the Blazers. After that, the schedule is back to as normal as it gets.

Sacramento's front office likely wants to keep Nique moving forward during that time. Between December 8 and 18, the Stockton Kings play four games, none of which coincide with the Sacramento games on December 11 and 14. Nique will get plenty of time to keep growing.

What's good about this is that it means the coaches and front office are taking Clifford's development seriously. A major issue with the franchise has long been the non-existent focus on developing young stars. Keon Ellis is a walking example of that lack of effort being put in.

Hopefully, Clifford heading to the G League is just a temporary move while the regular NBA schedule is a little wonky due to the NBA Cup. Getting these reps in will be important to his development, but he also needs to be putting in good minutes on an NBA court to get where he needs to go.