The Biggest Development Goal for Kings' 3 Sophomores

The Sacramento Kings are entering an exciting season after drafting Darius Acuff Jr. with the seventh-overall pick, but much like last year, wins will likely be hard to come by. As the Kings continue their rebuild and figure out how to add pieces around Acuff, the most important thing for the season will be the development of the young players.

Acuff will get the headlines, but the development of the sophomore trio Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell will be crucial to the Kings jumpstarting a run back to the playoffs. All three had great rookie seasons, but all three have areas they can improve in their second seasons.

Nique Clifford: Aggression

Apr 10, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Nique Clifford (5) shoots the ball against Golden State Warriors center Charles Bassey (28) during the first half at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The biggest thing that stands out about Clifford's game is his ability to do so many little things. That's great for adding him into almost any lineup and having him be a glue guy, but it begs the question if he's truly an NBA starter.

Clifford's best calling card may end up being his defense and ability to take on the more challenging defensive assignment for Acuff, but if he can jump up to the 15 point mark for scoring, he could take the starting two-spot and never look back.

He had moments last season when he would fade into the background, especially with all of the Kings' veterans still on the team. A lot of those same vets are still here, and with them not being part of Sacramento's future, Clifford will need to assert himself in the offense a little more this year to show what he can do.

Maxime Raynaud: Three-Point Shooting

Raynaud was the lone Kings' rookie to walk away with a rookie accolade, making the All-Rookie second team, and may have the most star potential out of the three sophomores. The easiest way for him to jump into the star stratosphere will be for him to establish a consistent three-point shot. Not just in terms of making them at a high clip, but on higher volume as well.

Raynaud shot just one three per game last season, and made them at a 32.4% clip. His volume trended up at the end of the season, but especially if he's going to share the floor with Domantas Sabonis, it's going to need to keep rising for the Kings to create enough space on offense.

Dylan Cardwell: Foul Trouble

Apr 5, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Dylan Cardwell (32) blocks a shot by LA Clippers forward John Collins (center left) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The easy answer for Cardwell would be anything offensive in general. But at the end of the day, Cardwell's superpower is his defense. He has enough defensive potential to be playable without any offensive game outside of dunks and cleaning up on the glass. So even if Cardwell doesn't improve on offense, he could still bring enough just with his defense. But that's if he can stay on the court and stay out of foul trouble.

Cardwell loves to go for the big block, and rightfully so. It's his defining skill set, and his energy and enthusiasm are the calling card that makes him a fan-favorite. But he can sometimes let that get the best of him and get in foul trouble because of it, as shown in Summer League when he ended a game with nine fouls (ten foul limit in Summer League).

If Cardwell can harness his energy and figure out how to defend without fouling, he could become a true defensive anchor the likes of which the Kings haven't had in years. Throw that together with Raynaud's three-point shooting, Clifford's aggression, and Acuff leading the charge, and the Kings could be on to something sooner rather than later.

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