Kings’ Young Core Turning Heads in Summer Pickup Runs

This part of the offseason can be a little dry for fans and the media. Summer League and the draft are in the rearview for the Sacramento Kings, but the regular season is still more than two months away.

For NBA players, the opposite is often true. After some well-deserved rest, most of the league gets back in the gym to get ready for next season. While there are a ton of ways for NBA players to get better, it’s impossible to replicate the level of talent these guys go up against every night in the regular season.

That’s why the open runs that coaches and trainers put on are so valuable for players and fun to watch as fans. Law Murray, who covers the Clippers for The Athletic, was at UCLA for one of these runs and had some good things to say about a group of young Kings he saw.

I watched Devin Carter, Daeqwon Plowden, Nique Clifford, Isaac Jones, and Maxime Raynaud yesterday at UCLA

I don’t think those dudes lost a single game for an hour straight of runs
— Law Murray 🔦 (@LawMurrayTheNU) August 13, 2025

Devin Carter, Nique Clifford, Daequan Plowden, Isaac Jones, and Maxime Raynaud make up a ton of Sacramento’s bench for next season, and it’s a great sign that they’re getting work in together.

Building chemistry for this group is going to be super important as the Kings (slowly) shift their focus to the future. Clifford and Raynaud need as much run against high-level competition as they can get while they prepare for their first NBA action.

While there is no confirmation yet, there’s a good chase the five Kings are playing in former assistant coach Rico Hines’ runs at UCLA. Hines was part of the Kings’ organization for six years and is well known for the ultra-competitive pick-up games he puts together at his alma mater.

It also tracks that this group plays well together after a solid run during Summer League; unfortunately, we may not get to see a ton of them next season.

"These long breaks increase the fear of injury for these older guys...there has to be more basketball and less hoopla, filler and commercials...

There's more competitive basketball played at Rico Hines's summer pickup games at UCLA than the NBA All-Star Game."
- @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/SHqywroouN
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 17, 2025

For now, it almost feels like an act of mercy that there isn’t a video of the young Kings running other teams off the court for an hour straight. Carter is likely sitting behind Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, and Keon Ellis on the depth chart as of now, while the rest of the young guys also have veterans in front of them.

There isn’t a good answer when it comes to finding minutes for all of these guys who need game time to develop, which is frustrating given where the team is projected to end up. The situation for this season is pretty grim, but Carter, Clifford, Plowden, Jones, and Raynaud can still be difference makers.

Identity is something that Scott Perry has talked a lot about when it comes to Sacramento, and that is one aspect the young guys can make a difference in even when they’re not playing. The Kings had plenty of times last season where they just didn’t seem like they were happy to be playing, and that isn’t going to be how you win basketball games.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are a great example of a team that has completely bought into creating an identity and now have a championship to show for it. I’m not expecting them to start throwing towels over Mark Jones, but playing together in the offseason, cheering on their teammates, and being ready when their names are called all help the Kings become the type of team they want to be.

Sacramento Kings draft picks Maxime Raynaud (left) and Nique Clifford (right) pose for a photo before the baseball game — Jul 5, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings draft picks Maxime Raynaud (left) and Nique Clifford (right) pose for a photo before the game between the Athletics and the San Francisco Giants at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

There remains the chance that the Kings do make some moves that open up the depth chart, but as we get into mid-August, that seems less and less likely. Scott Perry is no stranger to turning over a roster and famously flipped the New York Knicks in just about a year, and things change quickly in the NBA; however, Sacramento’s roster has some anchors holding it in place.

Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, and Domantas Sabonis make up over 70% of the Kings’ payroll, and the interest in those contracts around the league has been slim at best. Nothing is set in stone, but with Jonathan Kuminga talks still up in the air and no substantiated rumors other than signing Russell Westbrook, the roster may be set for the season.

The one positive is that Carter, Clifford, Plowden, Jones, and Raynaud will likely play a good chunk of their minutes together, which makes it that much more valuable that they’re working together now.

From Carter, Clifford, and Plowden getting more comfortable running pick and rolls with Raynaud and Jones to the whole team staying connected defensively, there are so many aspects of basketball that they can improve before they step on the court for next season. Developing your core in-house is vital to creating a contender, and it sounds like Sacramento finally has a young group that is ready to work towards that goal together.

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