The Sacramento Kings have a solid starting lineup, but to be successful in the NBA, it requires depth, and heading into the 2026 season, it seems the Kings have one player in particular who could progress and potentially serve as one of the better depth pieces off the bench.

Second-year guard Nique Clifford is the player in question, as he was a solid option for the Kings last year, and with the 2026 season quickly approaching, it seems he could be in line for a big jump from his rookie performance to what he may do in his sophomore season.

So, heading into 2026, here are three reasons why Clifford is poised for a second-year leap with the Kings.

The first reason why Clifford could experience more success in 2026 than he did in 2025 is primarily due to the experience he was able to gain as well as the mentors he was able to learn from.

During the 2025 season, Clifford played in 75 of the 82 games and actually started in 28 of those games while averaging 25.1 minutes per game. Throughout the season, Clifford became a solid contributor off the bench, and when some injuries happened in the rotation, he took advantage of the opportunity and ended up in the starting lineup.

Talking about the rotation, Clifford was able to learn from two solid veteran guards in Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, who served as great mentors for Clifford and were part of the reason Clifford was trusted to be in the starting lineup.

While DeRozan has left the Kings, Clifford will remember what DeRozan taught him and can continue to learn from LaVine, which should put Clifford in a position to progress and improve from his rookie season.

The second reason Clifford can make a rookie leap is mainly due to the frame he has and the fact that, heading into his second year, he should be able to use his frame more effectively.

Standing at 6-5 and 175 pounds, Clifford brings great length on the perimeter which enabled him to be a solid contributor on defense as indicated the fact that he averaged 0.9 steals per game last season.

With that, Clifford should be able to add some more strength to his frame and also should be able to pick up a few things from forward DeAndre Hunter, who is a very consistent defender and can often lock down opposing players on the perimeter.

So, as Clifford heads into his sophomore season, if he can continue to get stronger and utilize his frame on the perimeter as well as learn from a player like Hunter, he could take a step forward, especially as a defender.

Lastly, Clifford is poised to make a second-year leap because of his willingness to take shots as a rookie.

While it may seem simple, because Clifford was aggressive with his shot-taking, he was able to get a better feel for his strengths and the type of shots he should be shooting. On that note, Clifford averaged 8.6 points per game last season while shooting 41.8 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three, and 72.2 percent from the free-throw line.

As a scorer, Clifford proved the ability to be effective from a variety of areas, and throughout the offseason he gave himself an opportunity to practice the shots he took in game last year because he understands where he fits in the offense and where his shots will come.

Heading into the 2026 season, with the opportunity to consistently practice the shots he took during the season, Clifford should be able to be a more efficient scorer and may very well get up to around 10 points per game and possibly much more.