There has been a lot of talk about what the Sacramento Kings need to do to improve this season. The conversation has primarily focused on Darius Acuff Jr. lately. At the same time, Nique Clifford remains an important piece to this puzzle. He needs to find the next level for it all to come together.
One of the first things Scott Perry did after taking over as the Kings' general manager was successfully execute the 2025 NBA Draft. He pulled Clifford in the first round, Maxime Raynaud in the second, and signed Dylan Cardwell as an undrafted player. It was an incredible draft for Sacramento.
That became apparent as they developed through the regular season. Both Raynaud and Cardwell have become breakout stars for the Kings. Raynaud was drafted 42nd overall and turned out to be one of the top rookies in the league. Cardwell quickly became the elite defender the Kings needed.
Clifford was a bit of a different story. He didn't find his NBA speed as well as the other two. The main reason for him being a couple of steps behind was the huge logjam of guards the Kings had, particularly at shooting guard. It's still not great, but it has gotten better.
This season has to belong to Clifford
Going into 2026-2027, the Kings have added three more talented rookies to the roster. That includes their new starting point guard, Acuff. There's a lot of development to be done to turn this group of young guns into contenders, but the potential is there. And Clifford has to fight to not be left behind.
There's no doubt that Clifford is an incredibly talented player and that he has the ability to be a big deal in the NBA. But the breakout of Raynaud and Cardwell, combined with the arrival of another trio of great rookies, threatens to push Clifford to the side. Something similar happened to Devin Carter.
Of course, this wouldn't be good for Clifford. It would be even worse for the Kings. Clifford has the potential to be an elite-level 3&D player. He showed drastic signs of development in that area last season. Clifford fulfilling that potential would be massive for Sacramento's rebuild.
At some point, Zach LaVine is going to leave the Kings, and Clifford is the most likely player to replace him as the shooting guard in the starting five. Both he and the coaching staff have to make sure he's ready. If not, it could throw everything the Kings are trying to build out of balance.
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