Kings' Rookies Expected to Compete for Rotational Minutes 'Right Away'

Sacramento Kings rookies Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud could be in the mix for rotational minutes early on in their NBA careers.

Feb 15, 2025; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Colorado State Rams guard Nique Clifford (10) reacts after a play in the second half against the Wyoming Cowboys at Moby Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

As media day and training camp approach, we turn our eyes from offseason rumors to the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season, and while the Sacramento Kings aren't expected to do much in the tough Western Conference, they do have some intriguing pieces heading into the season.

Two of those intriguing players are rookies Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud, who feel like they've almost been forgotten between the Jonathan Kuminga rumors and Dennis Schröder's EuroBasket MVP run.

They join the Kings at an interesting time in Scott Perry's rebuild. Sacramento still has a tremendous amount of talent on the team between Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine, among others, but their roster construction is going to make it hard to contend in the West.

But at the same time, all indications are that the Kings are going to try and do their best to win as many games as possible this year. Whether they succeed in that goal or not, that generally makes it hard for rookies, especially a late first-round and second-round pick, to see the floor.

But Clifford and Raynaud might be the exception to that rule. ABC10s, and host of Locked on Kings, Matt George joined Damien Barling and Kenny Caraway on ESPN1320 today and shared that the Kings coaching staff views the two rookies as possible rotational players right out of the gate.

"I heard pretty quickly after the draft that both [Maxime Raynaud] and Nique Clifford, amongst the Kings coaching staff, are considered to be pieces that should be in that conversation for the rotation right away. Especially Nique," George stated.

Mar 21, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Colorado State Rams guard Nique Clifford (10) shoots the ball during the second half against Memphis Tigers at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

That should be news to every Kings' fan's ears. Even if the Kings aren't good, building toward the future should be one of the top goals for the upcoming season. And the easiest way to achieve that goal is to give the rookies as much playing time as possible.

It helps that Clifford is 23 years old and that Raynaud is 22. As older rookies, they already have a leg up in terms of being NBA-ready. But that still doesn't mean their transition to the league is going to be seamless.

While Clifford has a clearer path to the rotation due to him being the higher pick and his strong performance throughout Summer League, Raynaud has a clear path of his own due to the Kings lack of depth at the power forward and center spot.

He'll be competing with fellow young big Isaac Jones and veterans Dario Saric and Drew Eubanks for the backup spots at either the four or the five spot. But with his 7-foot-1 frame and ability to step out and shoot the three, he brings something no one else on the roster can bring to the team, giving him a slight edge in terms of potential, even as a second-round pick.

What will be telling is how much Doug Christie lets them make mistakes and grow. If they struggle for a long stretch, or even a few games, will he put someone else in in their spot to try and win, or will he let them learn from the mistakes on the fly while they play through their struggles?

That's something we won't be able to answer until the season gets underway, but luckily for everyone involved, the start of the season is getting closer and closer. And the idea of Clifford and Raynaud having a real shot at rotational minutes right out of the gate makes the approaching season even more exciting.