OKC general manager Sam Presti's career has been a master class in letting other teams outmaneuver themselves. This has been the case with the Sacramento Kings, who seem unable to see when they're getting taken. A prime example of that is the recent Nique Clifford trade.
If you haven't heard, the Kings recently decided to part ways with Clifford. The promising 3&D wing is yet another victim of Sacramento's inability to develop young players. Rather than putting in the work, the Kings buried him on the bench this season and used that to justify trading him.
The Thunder were happy to take Clifford on, considering all of the massive injuries they're dealing with. In Clifford, they get a talented developmental player on an inexpensive rookie contract, and all it cost them was a pair of second-round draft picks, one in 2028 and one in 2030.
How the Kings played themselves
What some people don't realize is how Clifford ended up on the Kings in the first place. The Thunder was the team that actually drafted him in 2025, not Sacramento. The Kings decided they wanted him so badly that they traded a first-round pick to get him on draft night.
Less than 18 months later, Sacramento sent him back to OKC at a loss. Not only do the Thunder get Clifford back, but they still have the first-round pick the Kings gave them in the first place. Again, all Sacramento got out of it was two second-round picks they will inevitably waste.
Clifford came out ahead in this deal as well. He gets to leave the NBA basement behind for a team that's a legit contender and play alongside the reigning league MVP. The Thunder have one of the best developmental systems in the league. This move likely saved his career from obscurity.
OKC let the Kings beat themselves
There's no doubt that the Thunder came out on top of this deal, which is usually the case when it comes to Presti. He's still sitting on 10 first-round picks and 11 second-round picks. Coughing up a couple of second-rounders to get a developmental gem like Clifford is a no-brainer.
What the Kings got in return is worth less than what they traded to get Clifford in the first place. Basically, they bought high and sold low, which is an insane thing to do. The worst part is that they didn't even really need to trade Clifford. They just didn't want to put the work into developing him.
Supposedly, the Kings are trying to get a rebuild going. Letting teams like the Thunder trick them out of their lunch money every couple of weeks isn't helping them on that path. Sacramento needs to make smarter decisions than this if they want to build a better team.
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