Clifford supplied six points (1-15 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 4-5 FT), eight rebounds, six assists and two steals across 38 minutes during Wednesday's 121-93 loss to the Jazz.
Clifford turned in a horrendous shooting line, as he needed 15 attempts from the field to finish with six points. The rookie is converting at a clip of 16.1 percent from the field over his last two appearances, but at least he's been producing elsewhere. Clifford has dished out six assists in back-to-back games and has racked up two steals in three of his last four outings.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Paces team in spot start
Rotowire
Clifford produced 30 points (12-19 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals across 40 minutes during Saturday's 132-126 loss to the Cavaliers.
Clifford had an excellent outing while filling in for Zach LaVine (finger). While the rookie hasn't done enough to merit ROY consideration, the 2025 first-round pick is set to see more time due to the key departures of Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder. Since Sacramento's playoff aspirations are shot, the team may opt to move Clifford past Malik Monk in the rotation and give the rookie more opportunities. He's worth a stash in deeper leagues.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Starting sans LaVine
Rotowire
Clifford will start against the Cavaliers on Saturday, Matt George of ABC 10 Sacramento reports.
The rookie first-rounder will get the starting nod due to Zach LaVine (finger) being sidelined. As a starter this season (seven games), Clifford has averaged 6.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 29.1 minutes per contest.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Starting Sunday
Rotowire
Clifford will start Sunday's game against the Wizards, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports.
Clifford enters the starting lineup for the fourth time over the last five games, on this occasion due to the departure of Dennis Schroder via trade. In his previous three starts, Clifford posted averages of 8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 30.0 minutes per contest.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Coming off bench Friday
Rotowire
Clifford is not in the Kings' starting lineup against the Celtics on Friday, Sean Grande of NBC Sports Boston reports.
The rookie first-rounder has started each of the Kings' last three games, but he'll revert to a bench role Friday while Zach LaVine re-enters the starting lineup. Clifford struggled during Thursday's loss to the 76ers, when he finished with two points (1-7 FG, 0-1 3Pt), six rebounds, two assists and one block over 27 minutes.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Hits for 15 in spot start
Rotowire
Clifford finished with 15 points (6-13 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-4 FT), three rebounds, one assist and one block in 33 minutes during Sunday's 139-116 loss to the Pistons.
With Zach LaVine (back) unavailable, Clifford made his first start since Dec. 11 and scored in double digits for the first time in January. The 24th overall pick in the 2025 Draft has been able to maintain a steady role in the backcourt rotation for the Kings, but as yet Clifford isn't making a consistent impact at either end of the court.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Muted production continues
Rotowire
Clifford finished with eight points (4-9 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 0-1 FT) and two rebounds across 22 minutes during Sunday's 111-98 win over the Rockets.
Clifford's playing time is stable, with Malik Monk in and out of the lineup all season long, but Clifford's fantasy appeal remains very limited. The rookie first-rounder has scored in single digits in six straight contests, also failing to log at least three boards or two dimes in each of these appearances.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Quiet in loss
Rotowire
Clifford notched three points (1-4 FG, 1-2 3Pt), two rebounds and one assist over 19 minutes during Friday's 129-102 loss to Phoenix.
Clifford continues to deal with the ups and downs of being a rookie on a bad team. Despite some encouraging signs over the past two weeks, Clifford remains nothing more than a stash candidate in most fantasy formats. In eight appearances during that time, he has averaged 9.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.4 three-pointers.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Scores team-high 18 points in loss
Rotowire
Clifford ended Tuesday's 131-90 loss to the Clippers with 18 points (7-12 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 1-1 FT), one rebound, two assists and one block in 29 minutes.
The Kings were a mess against the Clippers, as no one in the starting lineup scored more than 12 points. Clifford stepped in for relief and cleaned up once the game was out of hand, and he finished as the most productive Sacramento player by a wide margin. The 2025 first-round pick has had some stellar moments during his rookie season, and although his average of 5.8 points over 29 games doesn't jump off the page, the Colorado State product's talent is evident.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Scores 12 points against Blazers
Rotowire
Clifford racked up 12 points (5-11 FG, 2-6 3Pt), five rebounds, one assist and two steals across 29 minutes during Saturday's 98-93 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Clifford's 11 field goal attempts tied his season high, and he scored in double figures for the fourth time this year. The rookie wing has stepped into a larger role during December, averaging 6.6 points and 2.7 rebounds across 20.7 minutes per game.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Set to join starting lineup
Rotowire
Clifford will be in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Nuggets, Mark Haynes of The Sacramento Observer reports.
After being recalled from the G League's Stockton Kings on Wednesday, Clifford will be thrust into the starting five for the injured Zach LaVine (thumb) on Thursday. The rookie first-rounder has averaged 7.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 28.3 minutes per game covering a pair of contests as a starter this season.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Back with Sacramento
Rotowire
The Kings recalled Clifford from the G League's Stockton Kings on Wednesday, per James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento.
After tallying 16 points (6-13 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds and one steal in 32 minutes during Tuesday's 112-99 G League win over the South Bay Lakers, Clifford is quickly making his way back to the NBA roster. The rookie first-rounder is averaging 16.2 minutes per game over 20 appearances for Sacramento.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Scores 16 points in G League
Rotowire
Clifford produced 16 points (6-13 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds and one steal in 32 minutes of Tuesday's 112-99 G League win over the South Bay Lakers.
Clifford made his first cameo in the G League on Tuesday, but he's likely to be recalled ahead of Thursday's NBA game against the Nuggets. His role with the parent club has been inconsistent.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Starting Wednesday
Rotowire
Clifford will be in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Warriors, Matt George of ABC 10 Sacramento reports.
Clifford has come off the bench in all three games he's played this season. The Colorado State product is averaging 3.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 38.5 percent from the field.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Fares well off bench
Rotowire
Clifford racked up eight points (4-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt), one rebound, three assists and one block in 19 minutes during Monday's 130-124 loss to the Nuggets.
Clifford made his third appearance of the season after a hamstring issue hampered him to open the campaign. Through three appearances, he's shooting 38.5 percent from the field with averages of 3.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 blocks. Malik Monk is currently out for personal reasons, so playing time won't be easy for Clifford to come by once Monk is back in the mix. Clifford's role is likely to grow as the season progresses, to be clear.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Held scoreless in return
Rotowire
Clifford (hamstring) logged zero points (0-1 FG), three rebounds and one block in 16 minutes off the bench in Saturday's 135-133 win over the Bucks.
Clifford started in the Kings' season-opening loss to the Suns on Oct. 22, but after injuring his hamstring in that contest and missing Sacramento's subsequent four games, he returned to action Saturday in a bench role. Though the Kings went with Dylan Cardwell alongside Domantas Sabonis as part of a supersized frontcourt, head coach Doug Christie ran out a smaller bench unit that resulted in the rookie Clifford logging more playing time at forward. Despite serving mostly as a guard during his collegiate career, Clifford could end up seeing most of his minutes as a reserve forward for the foreseeable future, as the Kings backcourt will eventually get another key player back in Malik Monk (personal), who sat out Saturday's win.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Cleared to suit up Saturday
Rotowire
Clifford (hamstring) is available for Saturday's game against the Bucks, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports.
Clifford has missed four straight games and will have a chance to see the court Saturday for the first time since the regular-season opener. The rookie was a focal point of the rotation in his only appearance thus far, playing 24 minutes as a starter. Clifford finished that loss to Phoenix with two points (1-3 FG), eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Out at least one week
Rotowire
Clifford underwent an MRI that confirmed a right hamstring strain, Deuce Mason of NBC Sports California reports. He will be re-evaluated in one week.
The Kings are already shorthanded with Domantas Sabonis recovering from a hamstring issue of his own and Keegan Murray (thumb) out a month-plus. Keon Ellis will likely receive a boost in minutes while potentially being in the starting lineup while Clifford is on the mend. It's possible coach Doug Christie also dusts off Doug McDermott, who was a DNP-CD in the season-opening loss to the Suns.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Part of first unit
Rotowire
Clifford will start Wednesday's game against the Suns, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports.
Clifford draws the start in his first NBA regular season game, stepping into the starting small forward position as a result of Keegan Murray's (thumb) injury. Dennis Schroder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Drew Eubanks make up the rest of Sacramento's starting five.
... See More... See Less
Kings' Nique Clifford: Scores team-high 19 points
Rotowire
Clifford produced 19 points (8-13 FG, 1-1 FT, 2-5 3Pt), three rebounds and a steal across 20 minutes in Wednesday's 109-91 loss to the Clippers.
Clifford is following up a stellar Summer League with standout performances in the preseason. He can fill a few different positions as a second-unit replacement, where the first-round pick should rise to the cusp of fantasy relevancy. The team was a bit short-handed due to Keegan Murray's (thumb) injury, but Clifford is likely to earn comparable minutes when the team is fully healthy.
