There will surely be bigger trades this season than the one that shipped swingman Nique Clifford from Sacramento to Oklahoma City in exchange for two second-round draft picks. However, there won't be a move that perfectly captures the essence of two teams like Sunday's deal did.
To be clear, the 2025 first-round pick is unlikely to suddenly set the world on fire or emerge as a star. Heck, he may not even be a rotation player for the Thunder if they can get back to full strength. But Clifford looked like a legitimate NBA talent as a rookie last season, which would've made this move stunning if anyone outside of Sacramento had executed it.
Clifford's rookie numbers (8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists on poor efficiency) weren't spectacular, but the 6-foot-5 wing showed flashes of the smart, team-first two-way player he's capable of becoming. Given his encouraging rookie year and the fact the perennially rebuilding Kings traded a future first-rounder to acquire Clifford less than a year and a half ago, it seemed reasonable to assume he'd be given every opportunity to succeed as a sophomore.
Instead, for reasons unknown, Clifford was buried in head coach Doug Christie's rotation to begin the year, watching from the bench as the Kings got off to a league-worst 1-9 start.
As a terrible team that seems to have found one potential young cornerstone in point guard Darius Acuff Jr., and as a floundering club that controls its own first-round pick this year, the Kings are exactly the type of squad that should be giving players like Clifford the chance to play, make mistakes, and learn. It's one thing for Sacramento to hope showcasing expensive veterans like Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and Malik Monk leads to rivals trading for them. It's another thing to have buried Clifford behind names like Leaky Black and Daeqwon Plowden.
This trade is an indictment of the Kings at every level, from team owner Vivek Ranadive's often perplexing decision-making, to Sacramento's scouting-and-development, to Christie's coaching. In the span of about 17 months, the Kings turned a 2027 first-rounder (via San Antonio) into multiple second-rounders, prematurely giving up on an intriguing prospect in the process.
It's inexplicable and indefensible, which makes it perfectly sensible in Sacramento, where the Kings have made one playoff appearance in the last 20 years and haven't won a series since 2004.
Ironically enough, it was the Thunder who initially traded the pick that turned into Clifford to Sacramento back in 2025. While the Kings' role in this transaction tree was clearly misguided, the Thunder essentially traded Clifford for San Antonio's top-16 protected 2027 pick, then reacquired him for less (two second-rounders).
| OKC receives | SAC receives |
|---|---|
| Nique Clifford | 2028 2nd-round pick (via UTA) |
| 2027 1st-round pick (via SAS) | 2030 2nd-round pick (via MIN) |
In a stark contrast to the way the Kings operate, the Thunder have made a habit of using their surplus draft capital proficiently. Oklahoma City scouts, targets, and drafts good young players it then develops into solid rotation contributors on cheap rookie-scale contracts. This allows the top-heavy Thunder to eventually replace more expensive veterans without missing a beat. To wit, OKC is off to an 8-2 start despite missing two of its top-three players and three-fifths of its starting lineup.
The injury-ravaged Thunder have leaned on 2024 second-round pick Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain - who was acquired in February after Philadelphia gave up on the 2024 first-rounder - in addition to rookies Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz. Those four youngsters will combine to earn about $17.8 million this season, or approximately 10.8% of the salary cap. After using two of the 21 second-round picks at its disposal to acquire Clifford, no one should be surprised if the former King suddenly finds himself logging important minutes for OKC, helping one of the league's top contenders as a versatile defender and all-around heady player.
When that moment inevitably arrives, perhaps the Kings can revel in the fact such a player wasn't good enough for their lofty standards. I'm sure it will work out just as well for them. Like always.
Joseph Casciaro is theScore's lead NBA reporter.
