Nique Clifford at CSU. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings made a move up the draft board on Wednesday night. Originally holding the 42nd pick in the second round, the Kings struck a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire the 24th overall pick and selected Nique Clifford, a guard from Colorado State University.

In exchange, Sacramento sent the 2027 first-round pick they had acquired from the San Antonio Spurs in the De’Aaron Fox trade. The pick is top-16 protected, and if it does not convey to OKC, it will convert into two second-round picks in 2027.

Clifford, a 6-foot-6 guard, averaged 18.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game for CSU in the Mountain West Conference. He’s known for his relentless motor, solid defensive ability, and his versatility.

I asked Scott Perry tonight how the process of acquiring the 24th pick in the draft unfolded. Was this something the Kings had aligned days before, or was it a last-minute opportunity that came together?

“You work on a lot of different things throughout the process,” Perry said. “So you have a number of conversations that—hopefully—you’ve prepared for going into the night. If certain things work a certain way, it makes for easier conversations. And, you know, obviously, when you talk about Oklahoma City—Sam Presti is someone I worked with in Seattle. He’s a friend, and obviously he’s excellent at what he does.”

The value the Kings gave up in the deal feels like a win for Sacramento. Yes, they traded a first-round pick, but in return, they secured a first-rounder in this year’s draft. Realistically, the 2027 San Antonio pick is likely to fall in the same range as the 24th slot where the Kings selected Nique Clifford on Wednesday. And if it somehow becomes a lottery pick, the Kings will keep it thanks to the top-16 protection.

The move makes a lot of sense for a team with win-now players looking to accelerate their timeline back to the postseason.

It’s a small piece of the larger puzzle, but it already feels like Scott Perry is delivering on the vision he laid out when he took the job earlier this summer.