The Sacramento Kings have struggled to live up to the hype following their appearance in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. As a result, the Kings fired head coach Mike Brown 31 games into the previous season, after he compiled a 13-18 record.
The Kings then made Doug Christie the interim head coach and finished the season going 27-24. He was later named the head coach full-time, going into next season. One of the biggest shocks of the season was when the Kings traded point guard and face of the franchise De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs as part of a three-team deal with the Chicago Bulls, which landed the Kings Zach LaVine in return.
Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (8) looks on during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center.
Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (8) looks on during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center.
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Kings fans have strong reaction to Nique Clifford decision before summer league
The move reunited LaVine with his former teammate DeMar DeRozan. Fans were puzzled by the move, as Bulls fans could attest to the limitations of a team featuring those two, given that the Kings missed out on the playoffs again.
Desperate for a spark, the Kings selected Colorado State's Nique Clifford with the No. 24 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. While 23 years old, Clifford offers the Kings plenty with his ability to defend multiple positions and crash the boards.
According to Sacramento Observer's Mark Haynes, Clifford will wear the No. 5 in the upcoming summer league, last worn by Fox in 2025. The move was met with mixed emotions by Kings fans.
"Best 5 in the franchise," one fan said.
"We not gonna act like Fox was getting a number retired," chimed in another.
"The year of petty GMs," wrote another.
"This pissed me off," another Kings fans said.
Clifford was a super senior at Colorado State. In his final season, the 6-foot-6 forward averaged 18.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. With his ability to crash the boards, Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor compared his game to New York Knicks forward Josh Hart.
Kings fans will likely get their first look at Clifford when the team takes on the Orlando Magic in their NBA Summer League opener on July 10.