Kings Give Up On First-Round Pick After 83 Games, Trade Him For Basically Nothing

The Sacramento Kings have traded sophomore guard Nique Clifford to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for two second-round draft picks. Clifford, who was originally drafted No. 24 overall in 2025 using a pick acquired from Oklahoma City, spent only 83 games with the Kings before falling out of head coach Doug Christie's rotation.

Defector's Giri Nathan criticizes the move, arguing that Sacramento gave up on a promising young talent too quickly while off to a 1-9 start. Meanwhile, the Thunder reacquire Clifford to bolster their wing depth following injuries to Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace.