Nique Clifford Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kings’ Clifford Out At Least A Week; Sabonis Progressing

October 23rd, 2025 at 3:50pm CST by Rory Maher

Guard/forward Nique Clifford, the 24th overall pick of this year’s draft, underwent an MRI following Wednesday’s season-opening loss in Phoenix. The scan revealed that Clifford sustained a right hamstring strain, according to the Kings, who said the 23-year-old will be checked out again in a week (Twitter link via Brenden Nunes of Sactown Sports 1140).

Clifford will miss at least four games, with November 1 at Milwaukee appearing to his earliest possible return date.

The rookie wing received the starting nod in his regular season debut in place of injured forward Keegan Murray (thumb surgery). Clifford recorded two points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block and was plus-three in 24 minutes of action in the four-point loss.

In addition to being named to the All-Summer League first team in July, Clifford also had a strong preseason this fall, averaging 14.3 points, 4.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals on .488/.313/1.000 shooting in four games (25.7 MPG).

On a more positive note, star center Domantas Sabonis appears to be progressing nicely from his own right hamstring injury, per Frankie Cartoscelli of Sactown Sports 1140 (Twitter video link). Sabonis, who was diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain last Saturday and will be reevaluated this weekend, participated in a shooting drill during Thursday’s practice.

The 29-year-old big man, who has led the NBA in rebounds per game for three straight seasons, averaged 19.1 PPG, a career-high 13.9 RPG, and 6.0 APG in 70 appearances last season (34.7 MPG).

With Sabonis out Wednesday, Sacramento split the center minutes between Drew Eubanks (four points, four rebounds, two steals, four blocks in 22 minutes) and rookies Dylan Cardwell (three points and two blocks in 15 minutes) and Maxime Raynaud (four rebounds, two assists in 11 minutes).

Kings Notes: Murray, Raynaud, Clifford, Carter, Defense

October 3rd, 2025 at 7:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Keegan Murray has had an up-and-down start to his career with the Kings after being selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2022 draft, from starting in a playoff Game 7 as a rookie to two straight ninth-seed finishes as the team added more scoring options, resulting in a decline in his offensive responsibilities. However, going into training camp, the 6’8″ wing is excited about the changes head coach Doug Christie has implemented.

“I feel like there’s more movement going around, which we didn’t have last year,” he said after practice, per Sean Cunningham of KCRA News (Twitter video link).

Murray spoke about his offensive role and how he can contribute on a team with so many offensive shot creators, incuding Dennis Schröder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, and Domantas Sabonis.

“They’re using me more than they did last year, just coming out of the corner and in transition and things like that,” he said. “Just knocking down shots, being able to have the ball, touch the ball is the biggest thing when you’re talking about flow. When you don’t touch the ball for five minutes, it’s hard to get into a flow.”

Last season, Murray saw his shot attempts drop from 12.7 per game in 2023/24 to 10.8 while his usage rate fell to a career-low 15.0%.

According to Murray, Christie’s stated directive to shoot 10 threes a game is less a specific goal and more a reminder to him to stay aggressive at all times and look for his shot. He also noted that the addition of Schröder will help with his defensive workload, as he can still focus on the opposing team’s top perimeter scorer without having to defend as many point guards as he did last season.

We have more notes from around the Kings’ training camp:

Christie spoke highly about rookie center Maxime Raynaud and what he brings to the team. “He’s a super-skilled big man that has the ability to do a lot of different things on the floor,” Christie said after training camp (Twitter video link via ABC10’s Matt George). He noted that the seven-footer will have to adjust to the NBA’s physicality and floated the idea that Raynaud’s ability to shoot could allow him to play the four at times next to Sabonis. Overall, Christie was impressed by the rookie’s training camp performance. “He’s been great in practice,” Christie said. “He talks at a high level, his communication skills are great, and I think his teammates love him. His passing, his shooting, he’s done well.”
In the same media session, Christie spoke about rookie Nique Clifford. Clifford was named to the All-Summer League First Team after averaging 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 45.8% shooting from three, and that versatility was the main point Christie hit on when discussing how he could use the 23-year-old wing. “Do I see him playing some point guard?” Christie asked. “Yes, because of his skill set, but he’s also gotta be out there with a secondary ball-handler… It’s good for him to face Dennis in practice, because that’s about as high a level [point guard defender] as you’re gonna see in the NBA… his skill set says to me that he can play all the perimeter positions.”
Finally, Christie spoke about 2024 lottery pick Devin Carter, who was limited by injuries to just 36 games as a rookie. Carter struggled to find a rhythm during Summer League, posting shooting splits of .405/.289/.593, but Christie is unconcerned. “Devin has grown immensely from Summer League to now,” the Kings’ coach said. “He’s in way better shape. He’s understanding and reading the game better. From the point guard position, he’s beginning to understand things. When you’re at the free throw line, you’re already calling out the play, you’ve got something in your mind, what are we running? On defense, making sure everyone’s set. And a guy like Dennis is going to help him too because [Carter]’s not a natural point guard, but he’s gonna play that position sometimes… and he’s fearless, he’s not scared of the moment.”
Standout backup guard Keon Ellis spoke about the team’s defensive areas of focus in training camp, tweets George (video link). “I think just certain situations, not over-helping when you don’t need to, to give other teams advantages,” he said. “He’s really trying to emphasize everyone picking up 94 feet. It’s tough, but that’s kind of what you have to do to win. So that, and being physical, making sure on every catch you’re up, you’re getting a hand on them so they know you’re there.“

Summer League Notes: Rookie Standouts, Maluach, Fears

July 27th, 2025 at 6:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

The 2025 Summer League gave fans and teams first impressions of most of this year’s incoming rookies, as well as serving as a showcase for several sophomores and younger veterans. In the wake of the event, Law Murray of the Athletic breaks down each rookie’s performance with an eye for what it could mean for the coming season.

Cooper Flagg (Mavericks), Dylan Harper (Spurs), and VJ Edgecombe (Sixers) were arguably the biggest names who participated in the Summer Leagues – headlined by the Las Vegas event – and despite some shooting efficiency concerns, all three gave their fans plenty of reason for excitement.

Flagg displayed a well-rounded on-ball skill set, Harper came up clutch in his last game to force overtime, and Edgecombe lived at the free throw line while displaying some advanced ball-screen offensive game, Murray observes.

The next three picks in the draft, Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Ace Bailey (Jazz), and Tre Johnson (Wizards), all showed off their shot-making capabilities, which will likely be what earns them regular playing time as rookies. Knueppel was rewarded for his play with the only All-Summer League Second Team selection among rookies, while Nique Clifford (Kings) was the lone rookie to make the First Team, thanks to his stellar all-around play.

Other rookies, such as Collin Murray-Boyles (Raptors), Carter Bryant (Spurs), Joan Beringer (Timberwolves), and Brooks Barnhizer (Thunder) flashed tantalizing defensive capabilities, though Murray-Boyles and Bryant were inconsistent offensively, Murray notes.

Here are a few more leftover Summer League notes:

John Hollinger of the Athletic takes a look at some of the low points of Summer League, including the worst ejection of the tournament, awarded to the Celtics‘ Jordan Walsh for not only having an excessive foul on the Heat’s Pelle Larsson, but for accidentally throwing him into Walsh’s own front office executives courtside.
In terms of players who struggled, Hollinger mentions Khaman Maluach (Suns), who had difficulty catching lobs and other passes, Jeremiah Fears (Pelicans), who was unable to spearhead an offense and create for others, and the limitations of the four Nets rookies who suited up, among others.
On the non-player side, Hollinger points to an abundance of turnovers caused by stepping out of bounds, as well as the prevalence of split-screen interviews that made following the games an exercise in patience and eagle-eyed vision.

Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Kings, LeBron, Butler

July 26th, 2025 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors are the only team that hasn’t made a roster move since free agency began, and they’re probably stuck until the Jonathan Kuminga situation is resolved, cap expert Yossi Gozlan explains in his Third Apron column (subscriber link).

Golden State is believed to have deals in place with Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton, but those signings can’t be finalized while Kuminga is still on the market. If the Warriors use their taxpayer mid-level exception, they will become hard-capped at the $207.8MM second apron. That creates an opportunity for a team to open up cap space and make an offer to Kuminga at close to $30MM per year, which Golden State wouldn’t be able to match.

Gozlan views a sign-and-trade as the best outcome for both sides, but he adds that if the Warriors wind up re-signing Kuminga, they’ll likely want to keep his salary in the $22-23MM range. That would allow them to use the taxpayer MLE and add three more players on minimum contracts while remaining below the hard cap.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

After a strong Summer League performance, it looks like rookie Nique Clifford will be able to help the Kings right away, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Clifford was a First Team All-Summer League selection, and team officials believe he’s versatile enough to handle either guard spot as well as small forward. Anderson adds that Isaac Jones and Devin Carter also showed that they’re ready for larger roles, while rookie center Maxime Raynaud will enter camp with a chance to become the primary backup center.
What’s next for Lakers forward LeBron James as he enters his 23rd NBA season? Marc Stein tackles that topic in his latest Substack article, speculating that the 2025/26 season will be James’ last with the Lakers but not his last as an NBA player, though he makes it clear that’s more of a “gut-feel read” than hard reporting. Stein adds that he thinks James has some “genuine curiosity” about the idea of playing in Dallas, even though he and his family are “extremely settled” in Los Angeles.
Jared Butler‘s new one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Suns is a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, but doesn’t include Exhibit 10 language, Hoops Rumors has learned. That suggests Butler likely won’t be playing for Phoenix’s G League team if he doesn’t earn a spot on the regular season roster.

Pacific Notes: Paul, Beal, LeBron, Bronny, Clifford, Goodwin

July 23rd, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers signed Chris Paul and Bradley Beal, who’ve both worn No. 3 throughout their careers, but there won’t be a battle over who gets the number in L.A., writes Jay Dieffenbach of The Arizona Republic. Entering possibly the final season of his long career, Paul will be able to keep his signature number and his “CP3” nickname.

“Once Brad heard it’s a possibility Chris was coming, he said, ‘I want to give him my number,’ and I don’t even think Chris knows this yet,” president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in a conference call with reporters. “It’s awesome that Brad made such a great gesture like that. … Brad is such a great guy and an awesome teammate. … He knows what that jersey means to Chris. There’s a reason why he’s CP3.”

Paul has a history with the number and the franchise, wearing it from 2011 to 2017 when he was a perennial All-Star. Frank said Beal hasn’t decided yet what number he will choose.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

In a Threads exchange with radio host Colin Cowherd, Brian Windhorst of ESPN sheds some light on the uneasy relationship between LeBron James and the Lakers since the arrival of Luka Doncic. “A lot has changed for LBJ in the last year,” Windhorst wrote. “A year ago the Lakers were offering him a multi-year deal with a player option, drafted and guaranteed Bronny a long-term deal and LBJ was offering to give up money to work with free agents. Now Luka is centerpiece of franchise & the transition has shocked & strained everyone & they’re all dealing with the new reality. That’s playing out partially in real time and in some public. At the end of the day, I think LBJ wants to be a Laker.” James’ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, said in a Summer League interview that James hasn’t asked the team for a trade.
Bronny James‘ improvement was the most significant development for the Lakers‘ Summer League squad, observes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. James averaged 14.2 points, 3.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds in Las Vegas and was able to attack opposing defenses with more confidence than he showed a year ago. However, he only shot 29.6% from three-point range and still needs to become more consistent on defense, Price adds.
Kings first-round pick Nique Clifford talked about his first Summer League experience and his expectations for his rookie season in an interview with Sean Cunningham of KCRA News in Sacramento (Twitter video link).
The Suns, who claimed Jordan Goodwin off waivers earlier today, knew there was at least one other team planning to submit a claim for the former Lakers guard and weren’t sure they’d land him, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). Waiver priority is determined by last season’s record, with the worst teams getting first dibs.

NBA Names Kyle Filipowski Summer League MVP, Announces All-SL Teams

July 22nd, 2025 at 3:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jazz forward/center Kyle Filipowski has officially been named the Summer League Most Valuable Player for 2025, the NBA announced today (via Twitter). Filipowski is also one of five players who earned a spot on the All-Summer League first team.

Here are the full All-Summer League teams, per the league (Twitter links):

First Team

Kyle Filipowski (Jazz)
Nique Clifford (Kings)
David Jones-Garcia (Spurs)
Jordan Miller (Clippers)
Terrence Shannon Jr. (Timberwolves)

Second Team

Ron Holland (Pistons)
Isaac Jones (Kings)
Kon Knueppel (Hornets)
Ajay Mitchell (Thunder)
KJ Simpson (Hornets)

Filipowski, who is entering his second NBA season after playing 72 games as a rookie, appeared in a total of six Summer League contests (Salt Lake City and Las Vegas). He averaged 23.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 blocks in 27.6 minutes per game. He especially excelled in Las Vegas, averaging 29.3 PPG and 7.7 RPG in three outings.

Clifford, a rookie drafted with the No. 24 pick last month, posted averages of 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals in six contests. Jones-Garcia, who is seeking a contract, finished an eight-game summer campaign with averages of 22 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He posted averages of 21.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in a handful of games in Vegas.

Miller (22.0, 7.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists) racked up impressive number in five summer games after being waived earlier this month by the Clippers. Entering his second season with Minnesota, Shannon (22.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists) excelled in three contests.

After competing in the Summer League championship game on Sunday, both the Hornets (Knueppel and Simpson) and Kings (Clifford and Jones) had multiple players recognized for their play in Las Vegas. Knueppel was named the MVP of the championship game.

Kings, Hornets To Meet For Las Vegas Summer League Title

July 20th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Play will wrap up in the Las Vegas Summer League on Sunday with the Kings facing the Hornets in the championship game at 9 p.m. CT. Both teams advanced with convincing wins on Saturday, with Sacramento defeating Toronto, 98-88, and Charlotte routing Oklahoma City, 109-80.

Isaac Jones led the way for the Kings with 36 points and six rebounds in the semifinal matchup. The 25-year-old power forward appeared in 40 games as a rookie last season and is set to return after the team exercised its option on him last month. Sacramento also got 15 points from Mason Jones, who missed the previous game with an oblique injury, and 12 points and seven rebounds from rookie center Maxime Raynaud.

Charlotte was led by 25 points from Jaylen Sims, who appeared in six games with the team last season after signing a 10-day contract in April. The 26-year-old shooting guard is currently a free agent. Kon Knueppel, the fourth selection in last month’s draft, scored 17 points in 21 minutes before leaving the game after suffering a head injury while diving for a loose ball, according to Ben Golliver of The Washington Post (Twitter link).

Even if Knueppel returns today, the Hornets will be without two of their top players. First-round pick Liam McNeeley missed the past two games with right Achilles tendinopathy, while last year’s lottery pick Tidjane Salaün sat out the last three games due to right Achilles soreness.

There were six unbeaten teams during this year’s preliminary games, with the Raptors (+15.8), Thunder (+14.8), Hornets (+12.7) and Kings (+11.5) advancing due to point differential ahead of the Timberwolves (+9.5) and Hawks (+8.0).

Today’s contest will feature a matchup of former college teammates Nique Clifford and KJ Simpson, who spent two years together at Colorado, notes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The Kings traded up to take Clifford with the 24th pick in this year’s draft, and he’s gotten off to a strong start in Summer League, averaging 16.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals in five games while shooting 55.4% from the field and 50% from three-point range.

Simpson has served as the Hornets’ primary ball-handler in Las Vegas and has posted 19.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals in five games.

The Kings are seeking their third title since playoffs were added to the league in 2013. They defeated the Rockets in 2014 and the Celtics in 2021. The Hornets are chasing their first Summer League championship.

And-Ones: Summer League, Clifford, Barton, Apron Teams

July 18th, 2025 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings and Raptors will square off in one of the semifinal matchups at the Las Vegas Summer League on Saturday, while the Thunder and Hornets will match up in the other semifinal, according to an announcement from the NBA (Twitter link).

Those clubs are four of the six who have gone undefeated in Vegas and earned spots in the final four due to their point differential edge over the 4-0 Timberwolves and Hawks. The winners of Saturday’s semifinals will play in the Summer League championship game on Sunday night before the event wraps up.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

As impressive as No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg was during his brief stint with the Mavericks‘ Summer League team, Kings guard Nique Clifford beat Flagg out as the best rookie in Las Vegas, according to ESPN’s Kevin Pelton. Pelton also names Trail Blazers big man Yang Hansen the “most intriguing” rookie in Summer League, Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears as the slowest-starting rookie, and Jazz big man Kyle Filipowski as the best second-year performer.
Veteran guard Will Barton, who spent 11 seasons in the NBA from 2012-23, is joining the DMV Trilogy in the BIG3 and will make his debut for the 3×3 team this Sunday, according to a report from Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Barton hasn’t been on an NBA roster since finishing a rest-of-season contract with Toronto in 2023. The 34-year-old has played in Spain, Puerto Rico, and China since then.
In an in-depth story for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks takes a look at which teams are members of the NBA’s “apron club” this season and which clubs are positioned to cross that threshold within the next year or two if they don’t end up shedding salary.
The Pistons‘ acquisition of sharpshooter Duncan Robinson, the Heat‘s trade for swingman Norman Powell, and the Pacers‘ addition of big man Jay Huff are a few of the top “under-the-radar” moves that have been made so far this offseason, says Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Kings Notes: Carter, Westbrook, Schröder, Rookies

July 11th, 2025 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

The Las Vegas Summer League could serve as a showcase for second-year Kings guard Devin Carter, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes. While there’s no indication that the talks have gained any real traction, Sacramento reportedly floated the idea of a trade package that included Carter for Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.

The Kings’ willingness to discuss moving Carter a year after selecting him with the 13th overall pick in the 2024 draft will likely prompt a few rival clubs – including perhaps Golden State – to keep a closer eye on the 23-year-old in Vegas. For his part, when asked about how he’s handling a potentially uncertain future, Carter made it clear he’s not dwelling on the trade rumors, per Anderson.

“My pops (Anthony Carter) played for 13 years,” the Kings guard said. “He’s been traded a lot. I just talk to him about how he handled it. That will stay between us, what me and my pops be talking about, but I just come in to work every day, obviously thankful for the opportunity to be here, show up with a ready-to-work mentality all the time, and it is what it is. It’s a business.”

Carter’s 2025 Summer League experience got off to a somewhat shaky start on Thursday, as he made just 2-of-14 shots in 24 minutes of action against Orlando.

Here’s more on the Kings:

Sacramento has been frequently linked to free agent point guard Russell Westbrook this offseason, but a deal between the two sides still seems unlikely to happen unless the club makes other roster changes, Sam Amick of The Athletic said during his weekly appearance on The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross on Sactown Sports 1140 (YouTube link). “The sense that I have gotten is that the Kings have a lot of affinity for Russ, without question,” Amick said. “But the backcourt is pretty crowded already, and there was concern about making it even worse. So I have certainly been leaning in the direction of thinking that was not going to happen. And nothing’s changed roster-wise to change the logjam that they would have by making a move like that.”
In his first media session as a member of the Kings, Dennis Schröder said it “means the world” to him to have a team target and prioritize him as its starting point guard, as Anderson writes for The Bee. “I want to give it back, of course, every single day, every single practice, games, to leave it all on the floor and give everything for this organization,” said Schröder, whose three-year, $44.4MM deal is fully guaranteed for two years and partially guaranteed for the third.
At the presser introducing Schröder, general manager Scott Perry referred back to comments he made previously about wanting to add players who are “competitive, tough, team oriented, disciplined, accountable and professional,” suggesting that Schröder ticks those boxes. “When you marry those two things together, when free agency was embarking upon us,” Perry said, “this was the No. 1 guy we felt in the league for us that was going to fit that bill and help us establish that sustainable success that we are striving to get.”
In a separate story for The Bee, Anderson notes that rookies Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud made a strong impression in their Summer League debuts on Thursday, combining for 33 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in the Kings’ win over Orlando.

Summer League Notes: Bulls, Kawamura, Kings, Brink, Jent

July 3rd, 2025 at 2:10pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bulls officially announced their 2025 summer league roster on Thursday afternoon (via Twitter). The group is headlined by recent lottery picks Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue, plus two-way players Jahmir Young and Emanuel Miller and No. 55 overall pick Lachlan Olbrich, who is expected to sign a two-way deal with Chicago.

The Bulls’ summer league squad also features a handful of unrestricted free agents who have NBA experience. Japanese point guard Yuki Kawamura, who spent 2024/25 (his rookie campaign) on a two-way deal with the Grizzlies, is part of the team, as is ex-Grizzlies forward Maozinha Pereira. Former lottery pick Joshua Primo and guard Javon Freeman-Liberty are on the 14-man roster as well.

Windy City Bulls head coach Billy Donovan III will lead the summer league team for the second consecutive year, tweets K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network.

Here are few more notes related to summer league:

Both of the Kings‘ draft picks — first-rounder Nique Clifford and second-rounder Maxime Raynaud — will compete in summer league action, GM Scott Perry said today at a press conference (Twitter link via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee). Kings head coach Doug Christie said assistant Dipesh Mistry will be the summer league team’s top coach, as Anderson relays (via Twitter).
Jordan Brink, an assistant on former head coach Tom Thibodeau‘s staff, will be head coach of the Knicks‘ summer league team, reports James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Edwards, Brink was “largely responsible” for New York’s impressive success rate on challenges last season. Given that he’s leading the summer league squad, it seems pretty likely that Brink will be a member of new coach Mike Brown‘s staff, though that’s just informed speculation and hasn’t been confirmed.
Assistant Chris Jent will serve as head coach of the Hornets‘ summer league club, per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter video link). Jent is a longtime NBA assistant and former player who joined Charles Lee‘s staff last year.