The Oklahoma City Thunder made another roster move recently, trading two second-round picks to Sacramento for Nique Clifford, a 2025 first-round pick.

The move also resulted in OKC waiving Dalen Terry, who was recently signed to fill the team's 15th roster spot after a flurry of injuries.

Despite Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren missing significant time, though, Oklahoma City seems to have found its footing again as the Thunder sit at 8-2 and third in the Western Conference.

Even as the team has steady following its two consecutive losses, the Thunder are still relying on multiple two-way players to fill rolls in Mark Daigneault's rotation. Clifford could help give the team another solid wing player and give OKC's head coach more options to utilize in different lineups.

There isn't a guarantee that Clifford earns significant time in the Thunder's rotation or is a helpful player, however, as Oklahoma City observers have learned from the team's previous in-season trades.

Most recently, the team added Jared McCain ahead of the 2025-26 NBA Trade Deadline, which proved to make a huge impact for the Thunder last season and for the coming years. Not all of Sam Presti's in-season trades have panned out, though.

During the 2023-24 season, when Oklahoma City returned to the top of the Western Conference following a three-year playoff drought, the Thunder traded with Charlotte to acquire Gordon Hayward.

In 25 games with the Hornets in 2023-24, Hayward averaged 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 46.8% from the field and 36.1% from 3-point range. Across 26 games with the Thunder, though, Hayward averaged just 5.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists.

Hayward arrived in Oklahoma City at 33-years-old as a 14-year veteran while McCain came to the Thunder at 21-years-old in his second NBA season. In that regard, Clifford is more similar to McCain.

The No. 24 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft is 24-years-old, and should fit well on a young Thunder roster.

As a rookie, Clifford averaged 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 41.8% from the field and 33.3% from 3-point range. Through eight games in 2026-27, though, the former Colorado State standout's numbers have declined.

This year, Clifford is averaging just 1.6 points and an assist per game while shooting 35.3% from the field and 12.5% from beyond the arc.

Despite his stats taking a dip, a change of scenery and a new system could be what the young wing player needs to change his career trajectory.