How do experts view Nique Clifford’s pick in the 2025 NBA draft?

The Sacramento Kings traded with Oklahoma City to land the rights to Clifford with the No. 24 pick in the first round on June 25.

The early view? A successful pick for the Kings. Here is how it’s been graded nationally:

Sports Illustrated

Kevin Sweeney gives the Kings an A- for the selection of Clifford.

“The Kings get an older plug-and-play piece on the wing in Clifford, who dominated as a fifth-year senior at Colorado State this season. He’s electric as a driver, has strong passing chops and improved his three-point shot at CSU,” Sweeney writes.

Yahoo Sports

Kevin O’Connor gives the Kings an A for the pick of Clifford.

“Clifford is a tough-as-nails wing who does it all and could fill a number of different roles as a plug-and-play option for the Kings. He defends multiple positions, crashes the boards, and scores from everywhere. But as a super senior with only Mountain West pedigree, he lacks experience against high level competition despite his age,” O’Connor writes.

The Ringer

J. Kyle Mann gives the Kings an A for the pick.

“Clifford is one of the best-prepared prospects in this class to play serious basketball immediately. It took five years of college to get here, but he steadily assumed more responsibility year-by-year until his on-ball responsibilities skyrocketed this past season, and his efficiency somehow jumped significantly along with them. Is his ceiling high? Hard to say. But the floor is great,” Mann writes.

CBS Sports

Adam Finkelstein and Kyle Boone give the Kings a B for the pick.

“It’s a very solid pick. Clifford is a versatile wing and a good athlete on the perimeter. He’s an excellent perimeter rebounder and a good passer and cutter. He became an NBA prospect because he made substantial gains with his shooting. If that’s sustainable, then he’ll prove to be a very solid NBA player for years to come,” they write.

NBC Sports

Kurt Helin grades the Clifford pick with a B.

“Clifford is part of a growing NBA trend: Drafting seniors who can step in now and help teams. He is a plug-and-play guard who can score, pass, and defend, a player who averaged 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game last season and shot 37.7% from 3-point range. He can be a backup guard for the Kings next season,” Helin writes.

Sporting News

Gilbert McGregor gives the Kings a B+ for the selection of Clifford.

“The 23-year-old allowed the game to slow down during his college career, and he is a versatile player who scores at all three levels,” McGregor writes. “The Kings are in a very interesting spot, but as they work to find a sense of direction, a player like Clifford can help. Sacramento knows what (it’s) getting in him and the learning curve shouldn’t be as sharp as it would be with a younger rookie.”

The Athletic

Writers John Hollinger and Sam Vecenie don’t grade the picks but give an analysis of each one.

“His improvement over the past two years has been remarkable. He consistently proved he can play with anyone. He also possesses skills that NBA teams covet as he’s a wing who can process the game, dribble, pass, shoot and defend all while having solid positional size. It’s hard to find NBA players who can bring all of those things to the floor,” Vecenie writes.

“If Clifford ends up failing, it’ll likely be because his jumper was too streaky and he couldn’t quite settle in. If that happens, the rest of his offensive game could fall apart. But he’s been a good enough shooter over the larger sample of the last two years that I’m willing to bet on it, and him. Clifford profiles as a solid rotational wing who could be a starter when surrounded by the right stars in the NBA.”

ESPN

ESPN doesn’t have a grade on each pick but does have an analysis of each first-round selection.

“Clifford is an older, more NBA-ready wing who should be able to plug in and give Sacramento minutes as a rookie. He broke out last season at Colorado State and significantly helped his stock in the process, offering a well-rounded skill set and ability to contribute on both ends of the court. The Kings entered the night without a draft pick but saw value in adding Clifford, who becomes the first selection for new Kings GM Scott Perry,” Jeremy Woo writes.

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