Kings Trade Clifford to Thunder, Save More on Luxury Tax

Nique Clifford's time with the Sacramento Kings came to an abrupt end when he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to ESPN's Shams Charania on Sunday.

Sacramento received two second-round picks in return. Draft assets were a priority as the team had no second-round picks over the next seven years.

Trading Clifford saved $3 million in luxury tax, opened a roster spot and created a $3.3 million trade player exception. The Kings are now $6 million under the tax line and have two weeks to sign a player to meet the required 14-player minimum.

Two-way forward Leaky Black could be a candidate. He impressed against the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, totaling 24 points on 8-for-13 from three and six steals.

Oklahoma City acquires a young guard to bolster its guard rotation after severe injuries to Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace. Both are likely out for the season, and ESPN's Tim McMahone reported that league sources suggested general manager Sam Presti targeted Clifford.

The 24-year-old will likely get the playing time he never got this season in Sacramento. Coach Doug Christie moved him to the back end of the rotation, relying on rookie Emanuel Sharp and third-year guard Daeqwon Plowden.

He's played double-digit minutes twice: 17 minutes against the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 21 and 11 against the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 31.

It's surprising how fast the Kings moved on from their 2025 first-round pick. Clifford stepped up for a short-handed team dealing with the injury bug.

The 6-foot-5 guard showed promise last season when he played starter minutes. He averaged 12.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 33.4 minutes.

His two-way versatility was a bright spot. Clifford scored a career-high 30 points on 12-for-19 shooting against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 7, and recorded a career-high six steals against the Grizzlies on Feb. 23.

He emphasized taking pride in doing the dirty work on defense and being more aggressive on offense in the summer. Throughout summer league and preseason, Clifford has been inconsistent.

Clifford opened the California Classic with a game-winning 3-pointer against the Brooklyn Nets and led all scorers with 23 points in the preseason opener against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Although Clifford didn't have a significant role in Christie's rotation, he must find his replacement in those spot minutes. General manager Scott Perry will likely take his time deciding who earns the 14th roster spot.