The Sacramento Kings gave a heartfelt message to the player they traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for two second-round picks.
Talking before their game against the Miami Heat on Sunday night, Kings head coach Doug Christie expressed good luck for Nique Clifford, whom the team traded to the Thunder.
“You guys know Nick left us today,” Christie opened his statement. “I want to wish him the absolute best. He’s the ultimate professional. It’s an honor and a privilege to work with him. It’s part of the job and part of our business, but I wish him nothing but the best. He’s a great kid and a great person.”
Why Nique Clifford Did Not Play Much With The Kings This Season?
Christie then answered a question about why Clifford did not work out with the Kings.
“It’s always about competition. That’s what it is. I thought Emanuel (Sharp) has played really, really well. Malik came back, so there’s a logjam there. That’s part of the issue, but nothing personal with him. Never,” he said.
The Kings will get an unprotected 2028 second-rounder via the Utah Jazz and an unprotected 2030 second-rounder via the Minnesota Timberwolves for Clifford.
The trade marks a full-circle moment for Clifford, whom the Thunder originally selected with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft before trading his draft rights to Sacramento on night one of the draft.
After averaging 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists as a rookie with the Kings, Clifford saw his role shrink dramatically to just 6.3 minutes per game and 1.6 points to start the 2026-2027 season. For Oklahoma City, the move is a low-cost, buy-low acquisition designed to patch severe backcourt and wing depth issues caused by major long-term injuries to starters Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, and big man Chet Holmgren.
To clear a standard roster spot for Clifford, the Thunder waived guard Dalen Terry, whom the team just signed last week.
Thunder Ready To Welcome Any Help Amid Injury Wave
The OKC Thunder will be missing three of their starters for at least the next two months. Thunder general manager Sam Presti said this is the thing in his job.
“Obviously, tough night last night,” Presti said after the Clippers game that injured three of their players. “There’s no way to paint that differently. We say within our walls all of the time that there’s a difference between being positive and being optimistic. I’m not going to sit up here and say this is exactly where we want to be or this is how we’d like to have it. But at the same time, we’re extremely optimistic about the recovery for both of the players. Most importantly, things could’ve been a lot worse.”
“Anybody who asks me what the worst part of the job is, this is easily the worst part of the job,” Presti said. “It’s probably because they’re so far out of everybody’s control. You see how hard everybody works and how much they care. The team is a living, breathing thing all of the time. And when you experience something like that, it’s a real challenge for everybody.”
The Thunder remains one of the best teams in the league and is currently 8-2.
Sacramento Kings Deliver Farewell Message For Now-OKC Thunder Player After Trade