Could the Kings Move on From 2nd-Year Guard Clifford?

Nique Clifford went from a promising rookie for the Sacramento Kings to a back-end rotation player in his second season.

Clifford played 75 games as a rookie, started 28, and averaged 25.1 minutes per game. Season-ending injuries to multiple key players opened more opportunities for the first-round pick to develop in the fire.

His minutes have dropped to a whopping 7.6 this season. He played 17 minutes in the season opener on Oct. 21, received his first DNP against the Portland Trail Blazers and played 22 minutes in his last four games.

Coach Doug Christie is playing rookie Emanuel Sharp and third-year guard Daeqwon Plowden over him. Sharp is a confident, efficient 3-point shooter, the exact player Sacramento needs and Clifford hasn't provided so far.

A fall from reliable starter to back of the rotation calls his future with the team into question. ESPN's Tim McMahon reported that a few league sources suggest the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder could be eyeing Clifford.

Injuries have demolished the 2025 NBA champions' starting lineup. Jalen Williams (fractured left fibula and dislocated ankle) and Cason Wallace (left labrum tear) could miss the season, and Chet Holgrem (right patellar tendon tear) will miss eight to 10 weeks, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

General manager Sam Presti has poached young players on their rookie deals. He traded one first-round pick and three seconds to the Philadelphia 76ers for Jared McCain.

Presti has accumulated an expansive chest of draft assets to use. If Sacramento is unwilling to give Clifford extended opportunities, even while navigating frontcourt injuries, then receiving picks for the second-year guard is its best bet.

Clifford 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 Memphis 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.

The 24-year-old opened the California Classic with a game-winning three-pointer against the Brooklyn Nets and led all scorers with 23 points in the preseason opener against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sacramento's mismanagement of its youth worsens its reputation for an inability to develop and retain young talent. Giving up on Clifford in his second season is more reflected on the franchise than the player.