NBA
Kings’ rookie Nique Clifford is quietly one of the top players in the 2k26 summer league
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated37 mins ago on July 17, 2025
On Wednesday, the Kings’ summer league squad beat the Cavaliers 94-86. They improved to 4-0 in Las Vegas and could make a run to the summer league championship game.
Throughout their first four games, rookie Nique Clifford has been dominant for Sacramento. He has yet to score less than 17 points in a summer league game. Despite being an older prospect, Clifford has shown off his talent. The 23-year-old SF has been doing a bit of everything for the Kings. He might not be a starter as a rookie, but Clifford can be a solid rotational piece off the bench.
Nique Clifford will be a valuable depth player for the Kings
Nique Clifford’s statlines in his 4 Summer League games are ridiculous.
vs ORL: 17 PTS (41% FG), 4 REBS, 3 ASTS, 2 STLS, 1 BLK
vs CHI: 19 PTS (61% FG), 12 REBS, 5 ASTS, 1 STL
vs PHX: 19 PTS (87% FG), 3 REBS, 3 ASTS, 2 STLS, 1 BLK
vs CLE: 19 PTS (53% FG), 7 REBS, 9 ASTS4-0 pic.twitter.com/EoAv7XOYIT
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) July 16, 2025
The Sacramento Kings traded with the Oklahoma City Thunder to move up in the 2024 draft to the 23rd overall selection. With the pick, the Kings took Nique Clifford out of Colorado State. Clifford’s first three collegiate seasons were spent at Colorado. His final two were spent with Colorado State. In 2024-25, Clifford averaged a career-high 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists.
Sacramento’s front office saw something in Clifford, and that’s shown throughout the summer league. His stat lines through their first four games are quite impressive. His best performance so far was 19 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and one steal vs. the Bulls. Clifford has yet to score under 17 points in a summer league game for the Kings. He’s averaging 18.5 points per game.
Lunchtime buckets for Nique Clifford 🤌
👑 19 PTS
👑 9 AST
👑 7 REB pic.twitter.com/ACwPaD8bDk— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) July 16, 2025
In his most recent outing, Clifford had a near triple-double for Sacramento. He finished the game with 19 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists. Nique Clifford is SG by nature, and he’s shown his shot-making ability for the Kings. The rookie has carried the team late in summer league games to get a win. Sacramento has a perfect 4-0 record so far. Their front office has to be thrilled with taking Clifford later in the third round. Being an older prospect is his only true downside. Clifford will likely be a key piece off the bench in 2025-26.
