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Feb 15, 2025; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Colorado State Rams guard Nique Clifford (10) after a play in the first half against the Wyoming Cowboys at Moby Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Sacramento Kings Summer League Recap: Nique Clifford

Originally posted on Sacramento Kings on SI
By Will Zimmerle | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 5:44 PM ET

The Sacramento Kings Summer League is officially over, and while they didn't win the championship, we did learn a lot about the players on the exhibition team. Now that the games are done, let's take a look at each of the Summer League rotational players, and take a look at what we learned from the six games, starting with standout rookie, Nique Clifford.

Clifford came out of the gate strong and was arguably the Kings' best player, showing how he can impact the game in multiple areas on the court as described during the draft.

He finished Summer League averaging 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and a steal on 49.3% shooting from the field and a great 45.8% from three. It wasn't just the scoring that stood out for Clifford, but how he set up his teammates and went after the boards as well.

The Kings need players who are going to do a little bit of everything around Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine, and Clifford fits that mold perfectly. He can impact the game on just the boards or on defense, but in Summer League, showed flashes of doing it all at once.

For the tournament, that also included being the go-to scorer down the stretch of close games. It's a role that Clifford likely won't be in much this season, but if he's able to hone the skill, it will drastically raise his ceiling from a great role player to a star.

While Clifford was generally consistent, he did trail off in the final two games. In the first four games, he averaged 18.5 points and 5.0 assists on 58.3% shooting from the field and 52.9% from three.

Nique Clifford is such a savvy ballhandler

It’s what’s helped him prosper in the Summer League thus far

He’s excelled at attacking the rim, creating space, and getting easy shots for both himself and his teammates pic.twitter.com/YyiTA4Y7jM
— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) July 21, 2025

In the two playoff games, he averaged 8.5 points and 2.5 assists on 30.4% shooting from the field and 28.6% from three.

It could be tired legs, teams putting more focus on slowing him down, or that the Kings played their most difficult opponents (both of whom excelled on the defensive end during Summer League) in their last two contests. Or it could be a combination of all three.

But even with the two games at the end, Clifford showed enough to get very excited about heading into next season. It's not just that he looked great, but how easily Clifford appears to fit into the Kings rotation with the roster as currently constructed.

Sacramento has an opening at both the backup point guard and small forward positions, two roles Clifford could slot right into. One of the things the Kings and fans were watching for in Summer League was how Clifford looked as the point guard.

He wasn't perfect and had some turnovers, averaging three per game, but he looked confident with the ball in his hands. The Kings don't need their backup point guard to be an elite passer, but at the very least, they should be able to handle pressure and get the offense started.

Clifford also showed his pesky defense to round out his all-around game. He's got the speed and length to be a plus defender, and while he wasn't shutting anyone down, he wasn't getting consistently blown by. On the NBA squad, he also might have more energy to put into the defensive side of the ball as the stars lead the offense.

The Kings have a lot of questions coming into next season, but after Summer League, it appears that at least one of them has been answered. The Kings look like they've found, at least, a rotational player for the upcoming season, but time will tell if they've found a steal in the draft that will blossom into a star.

This article first appeared on Sacramento Kings on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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