The 2026-27 NBA season has officially seen its first trade, and man, it’s a familiar one! The Oklahoma City Thunder are bringing guard Nique Clifford to town from the Sacramento Kings, a move reported by ESPN that essentially reverses a huge moment from the 2025 NBA Draft. It’s wild to think that a bit more than a year ago, Clifford was wearing a Thunder hat on draft night, only for the Kings to swoop in and grab him. Now, he’s landed exactly where he seemed destined to be initially.
A Draft Night Do-Over and a Rare Early Season Splash
So, what’s the deal? The Thunder are sending two second-round picks to Sacramento for Clifford. This is super rare, guys. Trades this early in an NBA season hardly ever happen, especially since nearly 29% of the league is still technically untradeable because of contracts signed over the summer. But the Thunder have been hit hard by injuries early on this season, which clearly pushed them to act. They were initially looking to use their open roster spot to sign former first-round pick Ochai Agbaji, but those plans changed fast as their health issues just kept getting worse. Instead, they signed Dalen Terry to a non-guaranteed deal, and now, we can all presume they’ll waive him to make room for Clifford. What a whirlwind!
OKC’s Draft Surplus Pays Off, Again, For a Depleted Roster
You gotta hand it to the Thunder, they know how to work that draft surplus. Since they traded Paul George to the Clippers, they’ve had an enormous amount of picks, and it lets them be opportunistic like nobody else. Remember last February, when they snagged Jared McCain from the Philadelphia 76ers for just one first-rounder? McCain was having a brutal year, and most teams wouldn’t have dared risk a first for him. But OKC? They could, and they got a key performer with two and a half years of cheap cost control. This Clifford move feels pretty similar. The Thunder have so many second-round picks, they won’t even notice two are gone. The Kings, much like those 76ers, decided it was time to cut bait on a recent first-round pick who had actually shown promise way earlier than most teams would’ve. So, with a roster spot open thanks to Terry’s non-guaranteed deal and second-round picks to spare, the Thunder jumped at the chance to take a swing on yet another valuable asset with several years of cost control.
Clifford’s Game: A Promising Swing for the Thunder
Now, will Clifford be as helpful for Oklahoma City as McCain? Probably not, the source admits, but there’s definitely reason to believe he can help this injury-depleted version of the Thunder. Clifford was averaging just under 13 points, five rebounds, and four assists in March and April last year for a Kings team that, while terrible, wasn’t actively trying to lose like some others. His real emergence as a genuine NBA Draft prospect came in his last two collegiate seasons when he improved as a 3-point shooter playing at Colorado State. That improved shooting, combined with his all-around production and a super bothersome 6-foot-8 wingspan, makes him a tantalizing prospect for a Thunder team desperate for healthy bodies and an extra spark. Let’s see what he can do!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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