Nique Clifford grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant, so being selected with the 24th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft already meant something special to him. But the Sacramento Kings rookie had another surprise waiting. He wore a purple suit, his mother and grandmother’s favorite color, before finding out that he was heading to Sacramento, a team known for its purple colors.

“It’s crazy. God’s plan, man. My favorite player was Kobe Bryant growing up. I was drafted at No. 24 (Bryant’s jersey number) and sure enough I wore a purple suit and ended up going to a purple team, so it was just meant to be,” Clifford said on draft night.

Sixteen months later, that journey has taken another turn. The Oklahoma City Thunder have brought Clifford back after trading his draft rights to Sacramento in 2025, beating out interest from the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Sacramento received two second-round picks in return, with the Thunder looking to add another young wing as injuries continue to affect their rotation.

The move also brings Clifford back to the organization that originally selected him. Oklahoma City drafted him 24th overall before immediately trading his rights to Sacramento for a 2027 first-round pick originally belonging to the San Antonio Spurs, protected for the top 16. Now, the Thunder have spent two future second-rounders to bring him back, while retaining the possibility of receiving that original first-round pick.

For the Lakers, it is another young wing they expressed interest in but did not acquire. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that Los Angeles and Denver had explored Clifford as an option before Sacramento completed the deal with Oklahoma City. The report did not indicate that the Lakers made a formal offer or reached advanced negotiations.

The interest makes sense when looking at the kind of players Los Angeles has tried to build around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. The Lakers have invested in Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams, adding athleticism, shooting and perimeter defense to their roster. Clifford could have offered another relatively inexpensive option with room to develop.

Rob Pelinka had already explained what attracted the Lakers to their new wing additions. “In one of the pickup games this summer, (Thybulle) had like seven steals in the first half of the game. Ziaire too, another on-ball point-of-attack defender. And Quentin Grimes has the ability to dribble, pass, shoot offensively, but also is a point-of-attack defender to pick up the other team’s guard and guard full-court when needed,” Pelinka said.

JJ Redick also highlighted the importance of having multiple reliable wings. “When I said the pieces fit, that’s more about having depth, having multiple ballhandlers besides Luka and AR (in newcomers Colin Sexton and Quentin Grimes), having more shooting, more volume shooting, having an elite rim protector — the combination of all those pieces. And it’s having great wing defenders. I really believe in our wing group. I believe in their defense. I believe in their ability to make open 3s,” Redick told The Athletic’s Sam Amick.

Clifford would not necessarily have walked into a major role in Los Angeles, but his rookie season showed why teams were interested. The 6-foot-5 wing appeared in 75 games for Sacramento, starting 28, and averaged 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 25.1 minutes. He also recorded 0.9 steals per game, showing some of the defensive activity that makes young wings attractive to contenders.

His college background offered another reason for optimism. After three seasons at Colorado, Clifford transferred to Colorado State and averaged 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists in his final season. He earned Third-Team All-Mountain West honors and was named the conference tournament MVP before helping the Rams reach the NCAA Tournament.

But Sacramento’s decision to move him raises a bigger question about what happened after that promising start. Clifford went from playing more than 25 minutes per game as a rookie to averaging just 6.3 minutes through the Kings’ first eight games of the 2026-27 season. He was not injured, yet his opportunities gradually disappeared as Sacramento struggled to find consistency.

The Kings had started the season 1-8, and Clifford was no longer a regular part of the rotation. In one of his final appearances, he played only a few minutes before being left on the bench. Even more striking, recent first-round picks were struggling to secure playing time while two-way contract players such as Lick Black and Jonathan Mogbo moved ahead in the rotation.

There was a time when Sacramento appeared to have a much bigger role planned for Clifford. General manager Scott Perry had targeted him during the 2025 draft, describing him as a player who fit the identity he wanted to establish. Perry had also exercised Clifford’s $3.42 million team option for 2027-28 on October 26, just days before the trade.

Perry had made his belief in the young wing clear after acquiring him. “He was a guy that we really targeted, that we had a really good grade on,” Perry said. Clifford had also made his own ambitions clear after being drafted. “I really wanna make Scott Perry look like the smartest GM in the league, and I wanna make all the other GMs regret the decision they made,” he said in August 2025.

Now, Clifford gets an opportunity to rebuild his standing with the team that originally selected him. Oklahoma City has a particularly pressing reason to give him that chance, with Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren all dealing with significant injuries.

Williams fractured his left fibula and dislocated his left ankle during Oklahoma City’s October 25 win over the LA Clippers. Wallace suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder during the same game, while Holmgren is recovering from a small tear in his right patellar tendon. Williams and Wallace will be reevaluated before the end of the regular season, while Holmgren is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks.

The loss of Williams is especially significant for a team that relies on his ability to create alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Wallace provides another important perimeter defender, while Holmgren’s absence takes away a major presence around the basket. The injuries have left Oklahoma City with fewer options, particularly on the wings, where Clifford could now have an opportunity to contribute.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti did not hide how difficult Williams’ injury was for the organization. “Tough night last night. There’s no way to paint that differently,” Presti said before offering a glimpse of the player’s mindset. “Dub, as everybody knows, is as tough as they come.” He added that Williams was “in great spirits and extremely optimistic about the situation.”

Despite those setbacks, Oklahoma City entered the Clifford trade with an 8-2 record. Head coach Mark Daigneault had already acknowledged how quickly the situation had changed, but made it clear that the team could not afford to dwell on its injuries. “We understand the challenge in front of us. Obviously, our circumstances have changed significantly in a week, so kinda reframes the challenge. But sympathy doesn’t help you compete,” Daigneault said.

Clifford is not being brought in to replace Williams or take over Wallace’s defensive responsibilities. Instead, he gives the Thunder another option who can compete for minutes, rebound and contribute on both ends. His rookie season included a particularly impressive performance against Cleveland on February 7, when he scored a career-high 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting, including five three-pointers.

“I got some good looks tonight. My teammates were finding me, putting me in good positions to score the ball. And the shots were falling tonight. You know, it was a good individual performance, but I’m not a stat guy. I really don’t care unless we get the win. It was cool, but not the result we wanted,” Clifford said after the game.

There is also a financial reason why Oklahoma City could afford to take a chance on him. The Thunder sent Sacramento a 2028 second-round pick belonging to Utah and a 2030 second-round pick belonging to Minnesota. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Oklahoma City had up to 21 future second-round picks available, giving Presti plenty of room to make a relatively inexpensive move.

Clifford’s contract also gives the Thunder control without a major financial commitment. He is earning approximately $3.26 million this season, with a $3.42 million team option for 2027-28 already exercised and another team option worth approximately $5.98 million for 2028-29. Marks explained that the contract should not create a major financial problem for the team.

“I would not get caught up in the Thunder taking on additional salary for next year. The Nique Clifford contract is comparable to the veteran minimum contract,” Marks said. The acquisition also does not hard-cap Oklahoma City at the second apron because the Thunder used a trade exception created during the offseason.

That is where the original draft-night decision becomes even more interesting. Oklahoma City traded Clifford’s rights to Sacramento for a protected 2027 first-round pick, and that pick could still convey if it falls outside the top 16. Marks pointed out the unusual position the Thunder now find themselves in.

“Ironically, Oklahoma City traded the draft rights of Nique Clifford to Sacramento for a 2027 San Antonio first (if 17-30). A year later, Oklahoma City gets Clifford and likely the Spurs first in June,” Marks wrote.

For the Lakers, the move also highlights the difference in the draft capital available to the two teams. Reports indicated Los Angeles had only two future second-round picks available to trade, while Oklahoma City could draw from a much deeper collection of assets. The Lakers had expressed interest, but there is no evidence they made an offer that Sacramento rejected.

Clifford now gets a fresh opportunity with the franchise that believed in him on draft night. The purple suit once made Sacramento feel like the perfect destination, but his NBA journey has brought him back to Oklahoma City. This time, with a place in the rotation still to earn, he has another chance to show why the Thunder selected him in the first place.