Team: Sacramento Kings · Age: 24 · Position: SG/SF · As of: 2026-07-18
2026-27 median projection
| GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | 3PM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | 23.0 | .430 | .750 | 1.0 | 9.2 | 4.0 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 1.4 |
Nine-cat: top-145 median; top-100 ceiling. Points: C-. Dynasty: 6.0/10.
Role and evidence
Clifford averaged 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.0 three in 25.1 minutes over 75 games as a rookie, with 41.8% FG and 72.2% FT (ESPN statistics). That durable volume and multi-category shape are more meaningful than isolated Summer League shooting swings.
ESPN lists Clifford second at both shooting guard and small forward (July 18 depth chart). RotoWire's July 17 note said his Summer League finale absence was rest and identified an expanded wing path after DeRozan's departure (player page).
Range
- Ceiling: 13/5/3 with 1.4 steals and 28-30 minutes after a veteran exit.
- Median: deep-league glue player and 12-team streamer for steals and rebounds.
- Floor: inefficient 20-minute reserve squeezed between Hunter, LaVine, and Monk.
Career record
Pre-NBA: Five college seasons. Three quiet years at Colorado (peaking at 6.7 PPG), then a two-year breakout after transferring to Colorado State: 12.2/7.6 in 2023-24 (third-team All-Mountain West) and 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds in 2024-25 (first-team and all-defensive All-Mountain West, conference tournament MVP) — rare wing rebounding at every stop. Draft: 2025, Round 1, Pick 24 (Oklahoma City; rights traded to Sacramento for a protected 2027 first).
| Season | Age | Team | GP | MPG | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG% | FT% | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 23 | SAC | 75 | 25.1 | 8.6 | 3.8 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 1.0 | .418 | .722 | 1.5 |
| Career | — | — | 75 | 25.1 | 8.6 | 3.8 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 1.0 | .418 | .722 | 1.5 |
Durability: 75 of 82 as a rookie after five 33-36-game college seasons (excepting a 14-game freshman year). No injury flags; the Summer League finale absence was rest.
Trajectory: The rookie season delivered exactly what the college record promised: real minutes (25.1 as a first-year on a veteran team), rebounds and steals from the wing, modest scoring, and a shooting question (.418 FG). The five-year college arc — role player to two-way star — marks him as a late developer still on an upslope at 24. In 2026-27 he competes for the first wing-reserve role behind Hunter and LaVine, with a starter path if either moves or misses time. He becomes standard-league relevant when he clears ~28 minutes: the rebound/steal base is already there, so the swing category is whether the three-point shot reaches league average.
Career sources: ESPN career stats · Wikipedia (Colorado, Colorado State, draft)
Open questions
- Can Clifford lift his three-point percentage enough to close games?
- Which veteran wing, if any, is moved before the deadline?