Trading into the first round and selecting Nique Clifford with the 24th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft was one of Scott Perry’s first moves as general manager of the Sacramento Kings.

The 23-year-old rookie showed promising early returns, averaging 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game in six Las Vegas Summer League (LVSL) games.

Clifford converted 49.3 percent from the field, including 11/24 from beyond the three-point line. Unable to secure the 2K26 LVSL championship, Sacramento’s first-rounder turned heads around the league with his contribution.

Prior to the start of the ‘playoff’ two-round tournament, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton listed Clifford as the “best rookie in Vegas” ahead of number one overall pick Cooper Flagg and later first-rounder Liam McNeeley.

The 23-year-old Clifford was among the most polished rookies in this year’s class after five years of college experience, averaging 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists in Vegas. Given how much of Clifford’s breakout as an upperclassman was related to shooting, it’s encouraging to see him go 9-of-17 (53%) from the NBA 3-point line. It’s not realistic to keep that up, but his savvy playmaking will be a strength so long as opponents respect his jumper.

Clifford’s playmaking ability was a common highlight from those in Vegas, including Kings general manager Scott Perry.

Following the conclusion of the summer tournament, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley listed who he would have selected for first-team and second-team honors in Vegas.

Keep in mind, this ranking is solely based on their recent performance, not factoring in their future upside.

Buckley named Clifford to his second-team along with David Jones-Garcia (SAS), Ajay Mitchell (OKC), KJ Simpson (CHA), and A.J. Lawson (TOR).

A first-round pick praised in the predraft process for his versatility, Clifford put all of that—and his improved outside shooting—on display in Sin City. This was no-category-left-untouched levels of stat-sheet stuffing, as he averaged 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.8 blocks while shooting 58.3 percent overall and 9-of-17 (52.9 percent) from range.

Buckley’s first-team consisted of Kyle Filipowski (UTA), Ron Holland II (DET), Terrence Shannon Jr. (MIN), Nae’Qwan Tomlin, and familiar face Drew Timme (BKN).

While there’s room for debate if Clifford deserved first-team honors, opinion comes into play. And it’s clear that media, coaches, and players from around the league recognized the talent and capabilities of Sacramento’s newest first-rounder.

Clifford was a common topic among those in Las Vegas over the last two weeks.

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Despite falling short of earning their third Las Vegas Summer League title, the Sacramento Kings had plenty of encouraging moments from two weeks in Sin City.

From establishing Scott Perry’s ideal identity as the first to start, rookie debuts, to the growth of returning players.

Keep in mind, Summer League is far from a direct indicator of success at the NBA level. If anything, most believe that poor performances in the tourney hold more weight than successful.

But, let’s start with the positives. Here were three encouraging takeaways from Sacramento’s nearly perfect 2K26 Las Vegas Summer League:

Read More:

3 Encouraging Takeaways from Sacramento’s 2K26 Summer League

Upcoming offseason schedule for the Sacramento Kings:

August TBD – Release of 2025-26 regular season schedule
September TBD – Start of NBA training camps for the 2025-26 season
Wednesday, October 8th – Friday, October 17th – Start of Saramento’s 2025-26 Preseason

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