The Kings ended up getting a pick in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft after all.
Matt Norlander of CBS Sports was the first to report the news that the Kings had traded for the 24th pick from Oklahoma City in order to take Colorado State’s Nique Clifford. As part of the deal, the Kings sent the reigning champion Thunder the Spurs top-16 protected pick in 2027 (acquired in the Fox trade), that immediately becomes two 2027 second round picks if it doesn’t convey.
Clifford is a 6’6 wing who played 5 years at Colorado State. Last season he averaged 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 49.6% from the field and 37.7% from three. Clifford led the Rams to the second round of the NCAA tournament as a #12 seed, where they narrowly lost 72-71 to #4 seed Maryland. Clifford scored 21 points to go with 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks and a steal while playing almost the entire game. Clifford’s draft outfit also happened to be a purple gradient, almost as if he knew he was heading to Sacramento.
A quick glance at several scouting reports on Clifford praise his toughness and versatility on both ends of the court, and also exactly what new GM Scott Perry mentioned he wanted to add to this Kings team.
From Sam Vecenie of the Athletic:
“Clifford is older, and his track record when he was younger doesn’t inspire much excitement. However, his improvement over the past two years has been remarkable. He consistently proved he can play with anyone. He also possesses skills that NBA teams covet as he’s a wing who can process the game, dribble, pass, shoot and defend all while having solid
positional size. It’s hard to find NBA players who can bring all of those things to the floor. If Clifford ends up failing, it’ll likely be because his jumper was too streaky and he couldn’t quite settle in. If that happens, the rest of his offensive game could fall apart. But he’s been a good enough shooter over the larger sample of the last two years that I’m willing to bet on it, and him. Clifford profiles as a solid rotational wing who could be a starter when surrounded by the right stars in the NBA.”
From J Kyle Mann of the Ringer:
“Nique seems to enjoy the smaller details that create impact on the defensive end. He’s a solidly built wing, and although you wouldn’t categorize him as a mistake eraser, his high steal and block percentages are the result of his positional savvy. He rebounds his position extremely well and finds opportunities to create turnovers—positioning himself to deflect passes, getting a fingertip on an unsuspecting shooter’s release, or making a timely dig at a driver that dislodges the ball. He should hold up well within a team scheme.”
From SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell:
“Clifford doesn’t have a signature skill, but he’s solid in all aspects of the game. He started as a defense-first player, then developed as a shooter, then developed as a playmaker. It’s scary to take a five-year college player in the first-round with an elite trait, but Clifford’s improvement track, mentality, and all-around game makes him a great pick here.”
And here’s a couple minutes of highlights from Clifford’s tournament run:
Welcome to Sacramento, Nique!
First move by Scott Perry, seems not bad…..
Adding plus defenders cant hurt! Carter, Keon, Nique, and Keegan are all switchable and can guard multiple positions.
I was afraid to see what it cost him, but happy with the compensation. Feels like OKC just did the Kings a favor, pretty much! I like it.
No it’s awful. Worse stats than Carter as he went up against far weaker schools, and is another 23 year old experiment rookie that won’t work. Just like Hield and now Devin Carter. Such a stupid pick. Don’t defend this. Perry is just another Monte and wears the same self humiliating vest. You had Proctor and Maxime and wasted it on a guy who won’t make it.
You have no idea what you are talking about. Just watched clips against a Marryland team at the time ranked #4 in the nation. You need to also. End of conversation.
I like this trade. The 2027 SA pick likely will convey in the mid 20’s, anyway. It’s basically just using that pick early.
Agreed. Either this is going to be basically the same pick they gave us, but a year later or it’s going to be two second round picks.
A good trade for both sides considering the Thunder probably want to keep a bevy of future assets and we had a player we wanted now.
Really unfortunate part is that we didn’t just get the Bulls pick with Tre and Collins last season instead of getting LaVine. We could have made that exact same trade with the Pelicans and still gotten Nique and added an unprotected first round pick as well.
Starting 5 next year:
SG Malik
SG Lavine
SG Keon
SG Carter
SG Nique
Lmao, still no PG.
Dennis Shroeder is going to get us to the almost unprecedented 40 win plateau.
Dennis Shroeder as a placeholder at PG for a year doesn’t bother me much. Plenty of time to try and do better, but the menace has had solid assist-to-turnover numbers the past few seasons, won’t need to put up a ton of shots, and makes his free throws. He won’t scare anyone with this deep shooting, but he’s good enough that he can’t just be left alone.
As things are, getting DS on a reasonable one-year would be a win.
Nique can play SF since he is 6’6 with a 6’10 wingspan.
The combine measurements had him at 6’5.25″ inches tall without shoes (they didn’t have measurements with shoes), and a 6’8 wingspan. At 202 lbs, he might be able to guard some SFs or bigger wings, but only in certain matchups.
I think his defensive switchability will mainly be 1-3, with 2s being his best defensive assignment most nights. Still valuable for the Kings roster as they struggle defending the perimeter.
Sort of. He has the height and length to play SF. He does lack some functional strength and gets pushed around a bit, especially when guarding up.
Hopefully he can pack on some muscle with an NBA training regimen, but think his ability to play SF will be matchup dependent.
Deleted…
I don’t mind the swing
Whatever. Glad I turned the draft off after the first couple picks. Yawn.
Welcome to basketball hell, Nique!
Hopefully the roster changes a bit and he can get some minutes. He has multiple SGs ahead of him.
With Monk and Derozan and even Carter a couple got to go. Could be Clifford but first give the guy a chance.
I am whelmed.
I like the player but Scott Perry has his work cut out for him to make this roster even semi-competent. Lavine, Monk, Keon, Carter, Clifford, DeRozan… these dudes are shooting guards in some form or fashion. At least 2 of these guys need to be moved for more size and a point guard for this roster to have any shot at being competitive next year.
Yeah, the Kings current roster is:
ZERO PGs
24 SGs
1 SF (Keegan)
1.5 PF (Keegan and Jones)
2 Centers (Domas and JV)
Basically. I just don’t see how we could possibly go into next season without moving at least two of these guys but, I’ve said that before!!
I’m sure we’ll sign a PG that isn’t too impactful just to fill the position, but if we’re lucky Perry is shifting towards a rebuild, or at least a soft one. I’m hoping we trade all of Sabonis, DeRozan, and Lavine but I’m quite sure no one will want Lavine unless we give up assets. I hope we just keep making moves like this to young talent via draft/free agency and just allow the team to suck for the next couple years and get good picks.
Then again, Kangz 🙁
I think DeRozan will have a market consisting of teams wanting to add offensive punch ahead of the offseason, or who may have lost one of their top two scorers. Being able to create your own shot is a real commodity, and DDR can still do it.
In trading Sabonis, I don’t think there will be any trouble finding interested teams, it’ll just be a matter of the return and total cost. Pair him with, say, a DeAaron Fox-type player, and he’s a triple-double threat. (I miss Fox.)
Sabonis can thrive in multiple scenarios, he’s good for a dozen rebounds every night, at least five assists, and he can be depended upon for something like fifteen points minimum. Given all that, I hate to lose him, but if the team is making a hard shift, he can bring back pieces to speed that up.
Lavine isn’t unmovable, but interested teams would likely have their best scorer sidelined for a stretch before they’d take on the contract. I expect him to be around all year, and there a certainly ways that he could be a net-positive with his skill set.
Because of his contract I probably wouldn’t include LaVine but could be wrong.
Seems like a good role player. The guy I liked in the late 1st was Rasheer Fleming. Looks like he’ll be around tomorrow, but not at 42. He plays the 4 though, so I see why the Kings weren’t interested…
On this Kings team, with the roster as currently constructed, he’s Nique but not unique.
If he can impose his will on defenses he’ll be Domi-Nique!
And when paired with Sabonis, we’ll have a Domas-Nique connection!
I mean, I guess I like the pick. I noticed his draft profile a few weeks ago and saw some film. My first thoughts were, “Yup, an upper classmen with a high floor and low ceiling that fits the Kings draft tendencies.” I’m not down on the pick, but it sure as hell doesn’t fill a need. I will like it much better if Monk, LaVine, and/or DDR are moved out from ahead of him otherwise I honestly get some Colby Jones vibes. If the dude can become an Aaron Wiggins type role player off the bench, it’s a solid win.
As to what the Kings gave up, it seems perfectly fine. A future Spurs pick outside the lottery for an outside the lottery pick today is on par. OKC just got to kick yet another asset can down the road. Don’t underestimate how this helps them. They may move the Spurs pick for something greater long before it conveys. Presti is an evil genius, after all.
In the end, the Kings didn’t move the needle one bit, but also didn’t fuck things up. Is that a win?
It helps OKC because they have zero room on the roster for this pick. Rather than sell it, they deferred it.
As you said, evil genius.
I didn’t even take into consideration their full roster. Presti is building a dynasty.
They’re positioned to fill their roster with inexpensive upside talent for years to come. Hit on even a few picks and never sniff the second apron.
Presti 100% learned from how close he came with the Durant, Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka team.
Cap and asset management is different now. And he’s gone away from specialists who can be more easily targeted or taken advantage of in the playoff to players who are very well rounded and smart.
No more Andre Robersons or Kendrick Perkins in key rotational roles (though it seems like he will still have a couple of specialists on the bench so long as they aren’t relied on and can be used situationally).
OKC wasn’t in a corner, exactly, but no one is trying to have a bunch of rookies added to the roster at once.
Well, Brooklyn. But I think they made smart selections for their rebuild, and if even one or two pan out, that’s an effective draft.
Yup. High floor, low ceiling, older plug and play guy.
This moribund organization is going nowhere.
I also got the Colby Jones vibes. Clifford seems to be more capable athletically than Jones, and doesn’t possess a standout skill.
His production went up when he transferred to Colorado State, which played against lesser competition than when he was at Colorado. That concerns me a bit.
If Nique was 19 or 20 with his current skill set, I would be more excited. But being 24 when the season starts? Ehh.
Yes, you hit all my concerns . Hope he can be a rotation player but no reason to be confident or excited .
Doesn’t fill a need? He is a nice defender and the Kings need better defense.
I had to chuckle when I looked up his evaluation on draftnet.net and his comp was…
Doug Christie
We have Keegan as Peja and Keon as Bobby. Now we just need a Bibby, Webber and Vlade, then we’re all set.
Sometimes we forget it took Christie 4 teams and 4 seasons to become a valuable player . On well we are used to waiting .
No they did fuck it up. There were better players available.
How do you know this to be true? None of them have played a game in the NBA yet.
I am not defending the pick, it’s just hard to know what these guys will be until they get in to the league and play a couple years.
You should have been GM instead of Perry. We would definitely be much better off.
Just a what if. Perry uses the Spurs pick plus #42 to move up to pick Rasheer Fleming. I really like Fleming.
Exactly what I was thinking. If you look at the article from Colby’s night two years ago, it’s eerily similar: skilled player that can do a bit of everything, big guard, slightly older.
https://kingsherald.com/articles/sacramento-kings-trade-for-rights-to-colby-jones/
This is Perry’s first move, so I give him some grace because he is hopefully building his team and not just trying to put a bandaid on the gushing war wound that is our current team.
I don’t think Nique is a franchise player or future star, but I do like the calculated risk here. We got good value in the trade and Nique is a really high feel and highly skilled player who can basically do everything well and has a solid physical profile and traits.
These are the types of guys who tend to overperform their draft slots and just fit in really well in the modern NBA. Nique will need to speed up his shot a bit and hopefully put on some added muscle. But while any player drafted in the 20s is a bit of a risk, it’s pretty easy to envision him as a good rotation player who is in fact better drafting off a couple of other primary ball handlers instead of being the focal point.
And this is where ceiling is also an interesting concept. I mean, once you get to the 20s, there normally aren’t a lot of good gambles left in terms of having decent odds of becoming a star if they can tweak one or two skills. It’s mostly guys who end up being good rotation players and maybe make a single All Star game if you get really lucky or they are just extremely raw players who need to really develop 4-5 core skills to be a star and 97% of the time they are just out of the league or marginal rotations players instead.
In fact, if you look at the guys later in the draft who did become All NBA players, they are very rarely toolsy, raw players but either overseas or older players who people underestimated.
Jokic. Jimmy Butler. Jalen Brunson. Siakam. Gobert. Draymond Green. Marc Gasol. Lowry. Isaiah Thomas. D’Andre Jordan. David Lee.
Gobert and Jordan were really the only raw athletes from this group. You could make a bit of case for Siakam, but he was a Junior who was decently skilled and could go in either group. But most of these guys weren’t “high ceiling” players when they were drafted. They just turned out to be much better than people expected.
Obviously, the real question is who can we trade and how can we reshape our roster to make more sense. Hard to find minutes for Nique when we have Monk, LaVine, DDR, and Carter. And Perry very much alluded to liking that Nique was older and could play now, so I imagine he is looking for a way to shed some of these guys and open up minutes for him.
There’s a decent possibility that he can play his way onto the floor in a manner similar to Ellis. He’s a good athlete, defends like crazy and blocks shots in help defense.
He may need a couple of months in Stockton, but if he has a good camp, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on opening night. Clifford is good at a lot of things, and could be great at a few, including defense. Factoring in the cost in assets, he’s a good candidate for Sacramento to take a swing.
100% agreed. For a pick in the 20s that was pretty low cost to us (or cost neutral given the protections on the pick), this was a great gamble.
I think he should and think he will.
I really wanted Jace I think he’ll end up being a top 8 player in this draft when we look back. But this guy could still be a solid role player if he learns to shoot the three well. His shot is kind of flat, but I guess Doug probably sees a little bit of himself in him… or maybe Vivek’s daughter just finds him attractive. Lol.
like the pic… 6’6” wing that can be secondary ball handler, play defense and rebound really well. You don’t need a small point guard in today’s nba. Great start imho. If he shoots consistently he is a steal.
He fits younger core timeline and 2 way abilities. Next big moves are to move the older big three eventually. A lob threat, rim running shot blocker replaces Sabonis. A couple 6’8”ish longer defenders that can shoot and welcome to today’s nba.
Bleacher Report’s profile lists him at 6’5”, but uses Josh Hart as a comparison:
He just wanted to say
If we wanted to put the pick on a positive grand scheme gestalt – the Nesmiths, Nembhards, JWill, Cason Wallace, Ben Shephards, Aaron Wiggins – all can be applied to ‘Nique Clifford. Of course, that path cuts a wide swath.
Could he be Colby Jones v.2? Doug Christie v.2? Cody Martin? Johnny Davis? Josh Hart (wait, I thought Devin Carter was supposed to be Josh Hart?)?
yes, yes, yes, yes, yes
It is a stab in the right in a direction, and as a Kings fan, I am approve. We can discuss what he isn’t – 19 years old, 6’8″ or taller, etc. etc. etc.
He can fill the role of Summer League guy if nothing else. Do I like the pick? It’s a pick and I like that.
Is everyone understanding the protections the same as I am?
If San Antonio picks 1-16 in 2027, that pick comes to Sac, and OKC gets the Kings’ and Hornets’ second rounders in 2027. If SAS picks 17-30, the pick goes to OKC, and Sac keeps its own 2nd rounder and Charlotte’s.
Yup, that’s how I understand it.
If I’ve understood the above correctly, here are all the draft picks the Kings currently have through 2032 (detail aside from 2027 comes from RealGM):
First Rounders:
2026: Kings
2027: Kings; Spurs if it’s 1-16
2028-2030: Kings
2031: Timberwolves (unprotected); worse of Spurs and Kings
2032: Kings
Second Rounders:
2025: Bulls (#42)
2026: Kings; Hornets
2027: Kings and Hornets if Spurs first rounder is 17-30; none if Spurs first rounder is 1-16
2028-2031: None
2032: Kings
Also possibly Chicago second-round pick in 2028; I’ve seen it reported as incoming as part of the Fox trade, but RealGM shows it staying with Chicago. I’m not sure of the real answer
Leave it to the Kangz to draft a dude that has already played 5 years of college ball instead of a potentially more valauble freshman. This trend has not worked out well for the team, and yet once again, they are drafting for fit (age-wise) instead of acquiring the best player available. I supposse you have to be at least 21 to legally comprehend the quantum ineptitude displayed by this franchise. Not a point guard.
Who was the “best player available”, in your opinion?
Proctor, Maxime. Easy.
Well, both of them are still on the board. Probably not Proctor because he is also a SG. Actually, the Kings might take another SG, lol.
Kings can always move up from 42 and grab those guys. They don’t seem to fit the defensive type of player that Perry has mentioned wanting.
My thinking if the Kings can and do move up that Rasheer Fleming would be my choice.
Keegan was old in his class. Ellis was a senior at Alabama. Having a player that’s full grown and knows how to play is not a remotely bad thing.
I understand the downside, though. He’s twenty-four, so if he sticks, he’s probably only going to have, what, a dozen seasons in the league?
The bugaboo about older players is reflexive, and from my point of view, rather stupid. With NIL, players are going to be older when they go pro, and believe it or not, there was a time where the overwhelming majority of players drafted to the NBA were over twenty-one. The Hall of Fame is loaded with them.
Yeah, the only time age really matters is when they are VERY RAW and will need 3-4 years of development time…a 24yr old player will still be under decent team control for 6-7 years (rookie contract and then rookie scale extension).
Did they really have to spend that resource to get back into the first round of this draft?
One trade asset away for lotto ticket with historically a 10-15% chance of being something.
My guess is that they partially did this to appease the “DO SOMETHING!!!” crowd, which likely includes Vivek.
Regardless of the reason, watching the Hawks get an unprotected 26 first from the Pelicans with our pick once again shows you the utter stupidity of trying to make the play-in last year. Or hell, even winning the last game of the season. One more loss is all it would have taken to give our pick back or potentially even put us in the same position as the Mavs ended up. Everything the Kings do is malpractice.
Are you not entertained?
My sentiments exactly.
But the protected pick they traded is also a lotto ticket with a 10-15% of being something.
Perry liked this specific lotto ticket. Seems like a fine move to me.
Still hoping for a domas trade with the pelicans to get 1 or both of Trey Murphy and herb jones + picks.
The Jerry Special
I don’t see that happening. Pelicans drafted Derik Queen this year, Yves Missi last year. They have the wings, and now have the younger centers that are cheap. I think they roll forward with what they have and let Trey be their main man.
I still like Rasheer Fleming (please, please, please), Javon Small, Tyrese Proctor, Adou Thiero, and Johni Broome…in that order.
My first thought would be Fleming but I also like Proctor.
I would love Proctor, but imagine he probably goes before our pick. Fleming too.
I’ve seen several mocks with Proctor going in the mid 40’s.
Hope that’s right. 2nd round is definitely a bit of a crap shoot.
Would love for him to be there, but just have this feeling that he’s going to go somewhere in the 30s, especially after everyone just watched Nembhard. A 6’5″ guard who can shoot and plays smart and good defense is probably coming off the board soon.
I won’t pretend to have known much about him but reading he seems to be a good do it all decently type of player. Could be a very valuable glue guy without needing the ball much. I will say though with Jase and Saraf still on the board, I’m a bit surprised with the pick. Unless monk and or ddr are going out for a pg, or we’re truly rolling with DS next year, it seems more like a luxury pick for a better team. It can give me hope that Carter takes a step next season though which would solve a good amount of issues but far from all of them
Yeah, Saraf is a true point guard with BBIQ, size and some defensive skills. Would have made too much sense, I guess.
Let’s see how the rest of the offseason goes.
I am little surprised to see them pass on Saraf too given the obvious need for a playmaker.. maybe someone in the organization is an anti-Semite.. it seems to be all the rage in America..
Im flagging myself as that last comment was not needed .
sorry
Saraf is a solid prospect, but he also can’t shoot very well, is abysmal finishing inside and how no midrange game because he can’t shoot off the dribble yet, and while he’s pretty good guarding the perimeter, he’s a disaster at team defense and will stand around watching and just missing rotations. Picture LaVine style rotations and standing outside the key staring while other players are battling.
Now he’s young and can fix it. But there’s also a reason he dropped to 26 despite being an 18-19 year old playing big minutes in a FIBA league.
If Carter can develop in to a passable PG, that would help the roster a lot. I just don’t think that’s his game.
This pick might move Carter as a filler with Monk, Derozan or Sabonis. I still like Monk, who the Raptors also like, and adding Carter might get us Barrett who the Raptors say he is odd man out from their rotation.
Realize that it’s a different GM so not Perry’s fault, but man what a miss to make a lottery pick and then ship them out literally the next season as a marginal asset.
Just a total waste of assets and one we have seen the Kings do way too much with TRob, Papa G, Nik, Jimmer, Davion, and now Carter. I don’t mind taking some big swings and missing occasionally (I’m actually much kinder to the Papa G pick in that draft class than most folks). But we just set way too many good assets on fire and get nothing from them.
If SAC end up trading with TOR, I think its for Quick instead of RJ.
My guess:
Monk and Valanciunas for Quick (and maybe Colin Castleton)
This is fucking stupid. You are an ass team and need all the picks you can get. Instead you trade a future first for another 23 year old under size player. It’s the Devin Carter pick all over again except this time he’s taller and undersized for a wing, similar to Carter being undersized for a 2 guard.
Unless you are a top tier drafting organization like the Pacers or Thunder who rarely miss, this guy won’t make it. Combo SG/wings are the hardest to develop and far too many become G League grinders or overseas.
You could have drafted Maxime, who they need. You could have drafted Proctor. Horrible move. And worse you trade a future first.
I don’t care if that first from San Antonio is weak. You are a shit franchise and you need every pick you can get. Nobody wants to play with you. Nobody even likes you despite being the 14th largest market.
To build your reputation you cannot do miss after miss after miss in the draft. I appreciate Michelle Dapper being the only person to ask Scott Petty from his introductory if he is acting alone in his decisions and he basically confirmed that he isn’t and this moves further proves it. This team is a waste of time. I only pay attention to laugh at them because they lost me as a die hard loyal fan. ????
Just waiting for the news that he’s needing to rehab an undisclosed injury and will be out more than half the year, at this point.
Even if that doesn’t happen, he faced far weaker schools than Devin Carter. I don’t understand why this pick is getting praised. MWC does not have good schools.
You really need to change teams. I suggest either the Lakers or Warriors. I’ll backup either one you choose.
Pacers. I live in the Midwest now. The only remnants of fandom I have is the past during the Adelman years that got me into this sport. I’ll wait patiently but I will not credit nor give respect to this organization at all. They deserve mockery and laughter. Maybe then I’ll change my name. Right now it is fitting.
This team drafted Davion in 2021, I wanted Sengun. They drafted Keegan Murray in 2022, I wanted Ivey. They could have traded up in the draft to get someone not Colby Jones or whoever he is. They could have drafted Zach Edey last year moving up in the draft but didn’t. Now they could have drafted Proctor or Maxime but pick yet another fucking undersize player for the position again!
It’s fucking embarrassing this team has no understanding of basketball. The only hit was Tyrese Haliburton and they did they stupidest trade of all time. Even though I wanted Maxey that year, Hali was my second choice and he’s better. They traded him for a broken fraud of a center who cannot hit mid range shots nor rim protect and takes forever to shoot the 3. Losing ingredient.
I’ll continue to mock this team until they are serious again. Firing Mike Brown, the second coach they had with a 500 record illustrates they aren’t serious. On top of horrific draft choices.
First of all you are giving negativity to all those trades etc. to someone not named Perry.Yes the Clifford trade was his and I will support it until it proves different which IMO was a really good move. If I ever get to LA might see you in the stands(nose bleed). That’s where you belong GO KINGS!
It’s important to keep in mind that, yes, while teams should get as many assets as they can, trading a round one for a round one selection isn’t giving away a pick. Sacramento received a pick in return, and may end up having the pick that was traded.
We can debate whether Clifford was the right guy to take, but the move is pretty low-risk from the Kings’ perspective.
They drafted Maxime in the 2nd lol. Give Carter a chance… he will surprise. Elite defense with modern position flexibility. He will be a fan favorite by end of next season is my prediction. I honestly can’t stand the owner either… but it seems like the new GM is looking to mold this team like OKC and Indiana.
I like him he reminds me of Josh Hart and I like Nosh Hart.. I think you’ll be a nice player at the three. Still would be nice to find a good back up for that you could play Keegan with at times at the three kind of like Barnes and Keegan together. We’re pretty good as undersize switchable 3/4’s … the Nets did draft three basic point guards and I think that they have an excess of small forwards. Maybe they would take Derozan for watford and Traole the kid they drafted and .. watford could be a good candidate at 3/4 to play with Keegan and traole might be a decent shot at being a above average facilitator
There are a lot of possibilities to get a good starting point guard out there. Perry was patient with this pick and should be patient with the next trade or Free agent.
My first thought when BRK took their 3rd PG of the night was…”What would it take to pry Traore out of there”? I like him more than most PGs in this draft.
Knights who say nique
Well Proctor .. more of a combo guard is available.. Kam Jones another combo is available and should drop to kings.. if I were kings I would try for Nembhard..and then I would see if I could trade one of next years 2nds to charlotte and draft Fleming
Or try and pick up an early second round in Markovic.. he rebounds well and shoots the 3 well. Im not sold on Proctor as a facilitator which is why i like Nembhard..
Kam Jones would be good after looking a little deeper.. good size, strong pick and roll facilitator, not super high usage .. I think he would do fine with lower usage in NBA.. I think Nembhard would be a better point but his size and d aren’t great so may jones is a better choice..
I hope they look at the best player that is 6’7 or taller. They need that on the roster.
Lyles might not be retained, same with Laravia, so that leaves Isaac Jones, Domas, and JV as the only players taller than 6’8 on the roster. That just doesn’t work.
So that would be Fleming, Markovic.. they could be those guys.. maybe look at a guy like Watford in NJ as they are flush with players in that size range
Would have preferred a 3-4 rather than a 2-3, but at least he isn’t an undersized 2. My fear was we’d trade up for Fears. Don’t want a short PG that can’t shoot.
On another note: What the fuck is Dumars doing in NO? An unprotected 2026 1st to swap the 23 for the 13? Crazy
That was quite the trade. They must think Queen is “that guy”.
From what I understand they really do. It’s rumored that they heard he wouldn’t make it to #24. OKC may have eyes for him at #15. I guess if you really like a guy to pull that kind of trade.
Agreed. I mean, in theory I don’t mind the trade, but just seems like they could have negotiated better. It shouldn’t take an unprotected first from a likely lottery team to move up. I mean, at a minimum make it Top 3 protected!
IMO the pick was to cover trades Perry is going to do involving at the least Monk and Derozan and probably Carter.
PS. I also think Sabonis might be on the block. IMO 50-50.
Agreed. I think they all are and part of why we are adding talent now.
I have to imagine DDR, Monk, and LaVine are aggressively on the block.
I imagine Perry is listening to offers for Sabonis and might pull the trigger as he can bring the most back. But he also fits what Perry is looking for and is still a very good player you can build a playoff (though not championship) team around, so I don’t think he will be as hasty to get him out of town for the type of return he might accept for the other 3.
Didn’t publish my full draft guide here this year, will need to get in touch with Aykis and them next season, but here is the direct link to the Nique page with all the data, film review, player comps, etc. and summary below. As you can guess, I think this was a good move, especially with the protections we put on the Spurs pick.
https://nbadraftnetwork.com/player/nique-clifford
Verdict:
Nique is like that old Gin Blossoms song, “if you don’t expect too much from me you might not be let down.” I like high feel, high skill players. When I finally convince myself I can’t like them all and congratulate myself on growth by ranking some of them lower, they always burn me and turn out to be good. I have correctly picked out a few who busted, but in general, I have a type and even I miss more than I would like when going against it.
So ultimately, I think Nique is probably a limited player. I don’t think he’s going to be a star. He’s not the next Haliburton despite the diverse skill set, passing physical similarities, and odd looking shot. I don’t even think he will be a real secondary ball handler. But he is a good basketball player who can shoot, pass, and drive. There is definitely some risk that he is Chris Duarte or Denzel Valentine, so again, I don’t want to pick him too high. But I do think he has a chance to work his way into a rotation and maybe even end up a solid starter picking his spots opportunistically and using his diverse skill set to help his team. Swing skills here are going to be speeding up the jumper and cleaning up his defense. Given he is going to be more of an offensive role player, there is only so much of a liability he can be on the other end.
So he seems like a solid gamble to me in that 15-25 range. Slip him onto a playoff team that needs a cost-controlled contributor with some upside. And one who is a bit older and less raw and might be able to contribute right from the first year instead of 2-3 years down the line.
Great stuff, SPTSJunkie. I’ve always enjoyed your insights and it is wonderful to see your input again this year.
So many teams have so many contributors that have aren’t stars, but warrant attention. I mentioned Nembhard and Nesmith, but what about Denver’s Christain Braun? Or Grayson Allen? (both selected 21st in 2022, 2016 drafts respectively). We can swing for stars, but the players I’ve mentioned here (and there are many many more) are part of the fabric of what makes a squad good. Does Sac need more high end talent? Absolutely. But they need more depth that fits just as much if not more.
Thank you and 100% agree. Would love to add a star and there is always that 1% chance someone like him is criminally underrated and becomes one,
But totally agree that it’s really easy to underestimate the value of these types of plus starters. And getting them on a cost controlled contract.
Look at the Final 4 teams, they had a bunch of guys like Dort, Wallace, Hart, McDaniels, Naz, Nesmith, Nembhard, etc. who were crucial. No reason Nique can’t fit that mold.
Real challenge is getting the star, but that also becomes easier with assets as it opens up options for trades.
Do the Pacers have any top 10 picks on their roster? Rese, Siakam and Turner were not.
And thanks for sharing your research. Always a good read. The website is now bookmarked.
Thank you and no. Actually a good point in general. Chet may have been the only starter for either team taken Top 10.
Thunder (starting 6 as they shift their lineup at times)
SGA: 11 (traded)
Wallace: 10 (drafted)
Dort: UDFA (signed)
Williams: 12 (drafted)
Hartenstein: 43 (signed)
Chet: 2 (drafted)
Pacers
Nembhard: 31 (drafted)
Hali: 12 (traded)
Nesmith: 14 (traded)
Siakam: 27 (traded)
Turner: 11 (drafted)
The Pacers did have some top 10 picks off their bench in Mathurin and Toppin, but sort of wild to have one two top 10 picks total in both starting lineups. And those picks, while good to very good players, weren’t even either team’s superstar.
That’s crazy. I remember in the past thinking that to win a title you needed at least one top 5 pick and at least one All-NBA defensive player. The 2004 Pistons were thought to be an outlier without the “super-star”, but Billups was picked 3rd, so it still held.
I guess that already went away with Toronto and then again with the Bucks? OKC still fits with Chet. But maybe there’s a shift going on.
Well, teams follow winners. The other winners seemed more Big 3 oriented, starting with Bird/McHale/Chief or Magic/Worthy/Kareem and carrying on with KG/Truth/Shuttleworth which led to The Heatles and so on. The last team like that? Could argue Steph/Dray/Klay if you wanted, I guess.
On the flip – a big 3 was tried and failed in Phoenix.
And it was wonderful to watch.
There may be some good international players left but IDK. I like these guys in the second round
Maxime Raynaud – Stanford
Ryan Kalkbrenner – Creighton
Rasheed Fleming – St. Joseph’s
Adou Thiero – Arkansas
Koby Brea – Kentucky
Johni Broome – Auburn really like this guy. He’s falling because he lacks some length but don’t underestimate how effective he was.
Kam Jones – Marquette
Jamir Watkins — Slipping because he’s almost 24. He can defend
Noah Penda from France looks good on film (they all do) but has a 6’ 11” wingspan and apparently can defend
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