Thunder Acquire Nique Clifford From Kings After Lakers and Nuggets Interest

The Oklahoma City Thunder completed a trade on Sunday, acquiring second-year wing Nique Clifford from the Sacramento Kings as they look to address recent injury problems.

Before the Thunder made the deal, the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets were also reportedly in the mix for Clifford, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Both teams would have benefited from a young, athletic wing, but Oklahoma City got the trade done first.

What Oklahoma City gave up

To land Clifford, the Thunder sent away some of their surplus draft assets, two second-round selections. The Kings' side of the transaction has not been detailed beyond that.

Roster move ahead

The Thunder's next task is to open a roster spot for Clifford. The team had recently signed Dalen Terry to a multi-year contract to fill its 15th roster spot. Scotto noted that the deal was not fully guaranteed, meaning Terry can be waived to make room.

Clifford's role with Sacramento

Clifford was the No. 24 overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Kings. The former Colorado State standout had a promising rookie season, but his playing time and role shrank early this year.

He appeared in eight of Sacramento's nine games this season, averaging just over six minutes per game. In that span he put up 1.6 points and 1.0 assists, while shooting 35.3 percent from the field and 12.5 percent from three-point range. Last season, he averaged 8.6 points and shot 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.

The move gives Clifford a chance to contribute to a contending team in Oklahoma City, where his role could offer a fresh start after a limited start to his second season.