Scott Perry and the Sacramento Kings haven’t been shy about trading into the first round of the NBA draft for guys they think fit their identity. Since his arrival, Perry has traded into both drafts he oversaw, acquiring pick 24 from the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2025 and pick 29 from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2026.

Getting late first-round picks can be beneficial because it provides two team options that keep picks under team control for up to four years. The deadline to pick up 26/27 options is at the end of this month, and the Kings decided to opt into Nique Clifford’s team option today.

The Sacramento Kings pick up the third year option on Nique Clifford: pic.twitter.com/KvM7OeyTgi

— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) October 26, 2026

Why This Is a No-Brainer

It’s pretty rare for teams to not pick up 3rd-year options for first-round draft picks. Even if a team isn’t sure that player will be a long-term piece, it is still smart to keep them under team control for a trade. Clifford is set to make just over $3.4 million next season, which will amount to 1.94% of the cap according to Spotrac, .04% less than his current number. In the apron era, it’s vital to have as many rotation pieces on rookie-scale deals as possible, especially when they aren’t even taking up 2% of the cap. 

Clifford has also been a productive player for the Kings thus far. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Kings were 9.7 points better with Clifford on the court last season, which led the team. He may not be able to be the backup point guard the Kings want him to be, and he may not be quite good enough to start on a playoff team, but it’s clear he’s a positive influence on the team.

Kings rookie Nique Clifford 26 PTS (11-18 FG, 1-2 3P), 7 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK vs. Lakers https://t.co/Ui2RzZkjPq pic.twitter.com/HSgKVObdRl

— Role Player Performances (@BenchHighlights) March 2, 2026

Clifford is a solid defender, a good rebounder for his position, moves the ball, and can fit into a variety of different lineups. In my mind, he’s proven he’s an NBA rotation player, and that’s not a given for someone picked near the end of the first round. The question is, do the Kings see him as an important piece going forward or expendable?

Reading The Tea Leaves

I’ve caught some criticism on social media for advocating that the Kings find a long-term starter at the two spot next to Darius Acuff Jr. from those who believe that Clifford can take on that role. I’m skeptical that someone his age, with his amount of time playing Division I basketball, will make the strides necessary to be a starter on a good team. That doesn’t mean he should be playing at all, though, which is why it’s odd that he doesn’t seem to be part of Doug Christie’s rotation this season. 

Clifford played 16 minutes in the season opener against the Los Angeles Clippers, but most of his minutes came after the game was out of hand. He would go on to play just two minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers and was a DNP-coach's decision last night against the Memphis Grizzlies. Is this a sign of things to come, or just Christie trying to press whatever buttons he can to try to salvage a win?

Nique Clifford’s 9 assists last night equaled the amount of assists that the Kings starters, plus Malik Monk and Keon Ellis, had COMBINED in their roughly 140 minutes on the court. https://t.co/lKq1FoMK0T pic.twitter.com/NFiqz34qJ0

— The Kings Herald (@thekingsherald) October 9, 2025

Even recent two-way signee Leaky Black got in the game for a brief moment, while Clifford and fellow first-round pick Alex Karaban sat on the bench all night. I understand that the team needs to play Malik Monk when Darius Acuff Jr. isn’t in the game, but there should still be plenty of minutes for Clifford with Keegan Murray sidelined. Instead, Emmanuel Sharp, Daeqwon Plowden, and De’Andre Hunter have taken up the majority of those minutes, and while Sharp and Plowden have been good, Hunter has not.

Christie is coaching for his job, trying to keep the Kings out of the relegation zone all while trying to develop Acuff Jr. into the face of the franchise. It isn’t an easy task, but the numbers all show that Clifford impacts winning more than Hunter, LaVine, and others who are seeing big minutes every night. Is this politics, a coaching failure, or are the Kings looking to move Clifford?

A Cautionary Tale

Sacramento has already had their fair share of poor decisions when it comes to young players. Neemias Queta, Davion Mitchell, Keon Ellis, and others were all given up on too quickly and are now playing big roles on their new teams.

If the Kings really don’t believe Clifford is a key piece for the future, they would be smart to trade him now while he’s still under team control for two more seasons and not make the mistake they did with Ellis last year. Regardless of what the Kings do, let’s hope it’s not another case of them giving up on a talented player too early.