Three games into his first Summer League, Sacramento Kings wing Nique Clifford is averaging 18.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 60.6 percent from the field and 70 percent from three.
Following their Tuesday night win over the Chicago Bulls, the first-rounder said he’s “starting to get comfortable.” Clifford’s coaches and teammates often refer to him as a Swiss-army knife, and that’s been on display in Vegas.
“I think it’s just reps and just getting a feel for the spacing of the NBA,” Clifford said after Monday’s win.
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“It’s a lot more length, a different speed of the game, which I feel like has not been a huge adjustment yet, but it’s definitely different. We’ve only practiced with these guys for three, four days, and then you come out here and play together, so we’re all just trying to figure out how to play together.”
Before experiencing a growth spurt in his junior year of high school, Clifford was a point guard, and those ball skills have remained up to this point. With each passing game, his ability to create advantages for himself and teammates has grown apparent.
“It’s always been a huge part of my game,” he said of his playmaking. “I love making plays for my teammates. I probably enjoy that more than scoring. So, it’s always fun to play as part of a team that’s unselfish, and everybody eats. That’s a fun brand of basketball.”
Through the three Summer League games so far, Nique Clifford is averaging 18.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals.
And you guys, he is:
60% from the field (20/33).
— The Kings Herald (@thekingsherald) July 15, 2025
“He’s knowing how to pick his spots and is doing a great job just being aggressive,” Sacramento Summer League coach Dipesh Mistry said. Clifford is one of the leading rookie scorers in the Las Vegas tournament, helping his team be in a position to compete for the championship trophy.
Playing at the NBA level may enable Clifford’s complementary, jack-of-all-trades skillset even more so as he plugs the holes to aid the likes of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis.
Even his current Summer League teammates have found joy playing alongside him. “Nique does a great job of finding me,” two-way big Dylan Cardwell said Friday. “I’m excited to continue to play with him.”
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“It’s crazy. It’s like a Swiss Army knife,” he continued. “He just does everything great. I feel bad for the scouts because there’s no real weakness on offense, especially… So, I really love playing with him.”
Focused on establishing and maintaining their defensive identity (as the main squad in Sacramento is expected to do as well) has worked in Clifford’s favor. The rookie’s versatility and efficiency has aided theri 3-0 start, putting them within reach of the 2K26 Summer League title.
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With five years of NBA experience in the books since going undrafted in 2020, Mason Jones (26) is the second-oldest player on the Sacramento Kings 2025 Las Vegas Summer League roster.
It’s his fourth Summer League appearance and second with Sacramento. Jones was on a two-way contract last season, where he helped lead the Stockton Kings to a G-League Championship, earning Finals MVP honors in the process.
“When Scott (Perry) asked me to play, it was just a no-brainer,” Jones said after Saturday’s shootaround.
“I love [Sacramento],” he continued. “That’s why I’m doing Summer League here because I want to continue to showcase what I can do to everybody else, but also to Scott.”
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Upcoming offseason schedule for the Sacramento Kings:
July 10th-20th – Las Vegas NBA Summer League
August TBD – Release of 2025-26 regular season schedule
September TBD – Start of NBA training camps for the 2025-26 season
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