Nique Clifford is a 6-foot-5 Sacramento Kings rookie wing, a first-round pick (24th in 2025, acquired via draft-night trade) out of Colorado State, an experienced 23-year-old two-way prospect who was First-Team All-Mountain West and conference tournament MVP.
Model lines Clifford at 8.5 pts (range 5.8–11.2) vs a 8.5 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (50%).
Model favors Portland Trail Blazers (67%), projected 111–114, ~225 total at 96.2 pace.
Nique Clifford took the long college road and arrived in the NBA already polished.
After three years at Colorado, he transferred to Colorado State and broke out as a senior — 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
He was First-Team All-Mountain West, conference All-Defensive, and tournament MVP in 2025.
Oklahoma City drafted him 24th, and Sacramento traded up to acquire the pick — landing a ready-made two-way wing on draft night.
A polished, older two-way wing who peaked as a college star, Nique Clifford brought a plug-and-play skill set to Sacramento as a first-round rookie.
Dominique 'Nique' Akai Clifford was born February 9, 2002 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He spent three seasons at Colorado in a complementary role before transferring to Colorado State and breaking out.
As a senior he was First-Team All-Mountain West, made the conference All-Defensive team, and was tournament MVP, averaging 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists — a genuinely experienced 23-year-old prospect.
Oklahoma City selected him 24th overall in 2025, and Sacramento acquired the pick and his rights in a draft-night trade, adding a ready-made two-way wing to their rotation.
Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference.
A Colorado native, Clifford was named the state's Gatorade Player of the Year in high school before a five-year college journey across Colorado and Colorado State.
His nickname 'Nique' is short for Dominique, and his development arc — patient, complete, and defense-minded — reflects an older prospect who arrived NBA-ready.
Polished, versatile and defensively sound, Clifford is a mature two-way wing who does a little of everything.
All-Around Wing
Clifford is a strong all-around shooter with efficient college splits, a patient playmaker and a versatile scorer who gets to his spots — a complete offensive wing.
Rebounding & D
He rebounds well for a wing and earned Mountain West All-Defensive honors, giving him a genuine two-way profile as a rookie.
Age & Ceiling
As a 23-year-old rookie, his development runway is shorter and his athletic tools may translate less dramatically — his value is readiness rather than long-term upside.
Per game
| Season | GP | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 75 | 25.1 | 8.6 | 3.8 | 2.4 | .418 | .333 |
Source: Basketball-Reference.
Where he sits in history
Hardware
A plug-and-play two-way wing on a rookie deal.
Clifford signed with Sacramento in July 2025 and logged a meaningful rookie season across 75 games. As a polished, older prospect, he projects as a rotation two-way wing; continued three-point consistency is the key to a larger role.
Contract
A polished, NBA-ready two-way wing — a complete-game rookie who fills gaps on both ends.
He was picked 24th overall by Oklahoma City, and Sacramento acquired the pick and his rights in a draft-night trade — a first-round selection who became a King on draft night.
He played five college seasons — three at Colorado and two at Colorado State — and was 23 on draft night.
He broke out at Colorado State, averaging 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists as a senior with All-Mountain West, All-Defensive and Tournament MVP honors.
A two-way wing who scores, rebounds and passes, valued for arriving polished and NBA-ready.