Kings pick up Nique Clifford’s 2027-28 option despite a slow start to his second season

The Sacramento Kings have exercised their 2027-28 team option on second-year wing Nique Clifford, general manager Scott Perry announced Monday. The move locks in Clifford’s $3,418,800 salary for next season, on top of the $3,263,400 he is already guaranteed this year.

Kings Exercise Third-Year Option on Nique Cliffordhttps://t.co/ppzmqVFpBm

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) October 26, 2026

Clifford is the only player on Sacramento’s roster with a rookie scale option due this fall, so the Kings are done with that piece of business a week before the league-wide deadline. Teams have until Monday, Nov. 2, to pick up or decline third- and fourth-year options for 2027-28. The deadline is usually Oct. 31, but it moves to the next business day when that date falls on a weekend.

Why the call was easy

Sacramento traded into the first round of the 2025 draft to take Clifford 24th overall, sending Oklahoma City a top-16-protected 2027 first-round pick that originally belonged to San Antonio. Turning down the option a year later would have meant walking away from that investment for a savings of about $3.4 million.

Clifford gave the Kings real minutes as a rookie. The Colorado Springs native, who spent five college seasons at Colorado and Colorado State, played 75 games with 28 starts in 2025-26, averaging 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 25.1 minutes. His 68 steals ranked sixth among rookies, and he was ninth in steals per game at 0.9.

The price also stays small. His $3.42 million salary for next season is less than 2% of the salary cap, the kind of rotation-level contract that teams working around the tax aprons try to keep on the books. His deal carries a $5,979,481 fourth-year option for 2028-29, which the Kings will have to decide on by next fall.

A slow start to year two

The decision comes while Clifford is still searching for a role. The 24-year-old played 17 minutes in the season opener, logged only two minutes in Friday’s home opener against Portland and did not get off the bench in Sunday’s loss to Memphis. Sacramento is 0-3 after going 22-60 last season, and rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. has taken over the ball, leading the team in shots and usage.

The Kings shared the news alongside a round of injury updates. Keegan Murray has left ankle capsulitis and will be reevaluated in 10 to 14 days, Maxime Raynaud will be reevaluated in about two weeks as he works back from a right patellar subluxation, and Dylan Cardwell is starting on-court work after a left calf strain. With Murray out, more wing minutes could open up for Clifford.

Where the rest of the league stands

Most teams have already made the easy calls. Dallas has picked up Cooper Flagg’s third-year option, Philadelphia did the same for VJ Edgecombe, and San Antonio exercised options on Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle and Carter Bryant. New Orleans declined its fourth-year option on AJ Johnson.

Several decisions are still open with a week to go. Washington has five, including Alex Sarr and Tre Johnson. Brooklyn also has five, led by Egor Dëmin. Charlotte still has to act on Kon Knueppel, Utah on Ace Bailey, Houston on Reed Sheppard, and Oklahoma City on Nikola Topić, Jared McCain and Thomas Sorber, a call that could carry a large luxury tax cost.