Thunder’s Nique Clifford deal comes with familiar benefit

The Thunder needed help on the wing. Nique Clifford offered a way to get some without giving up a rotation player or spending much of their draft capital.

His salary helped, too.

As John Hollinger of The Athletic explains, Clifford’s $3,263,400 salary made him an attainable option for a team sitting roughly $6.9 million below the second apron. Oklahoma City could absorb that contract without sending a player back to Sacramento.

For a contender looking for another serviceable forward, that’s a useful combination.

The Thunder agreed to acquire Clifford for two second-round picks, Utah’s in 2028 and Minnesota’s in 2030. And there’s an interesting wrinkle to how they got here.

Oklahoma City originally drafted Clifford in 2025, then sent his rights to the Kings for San Antonio’s protected 2027 first-round pick. Now the Thunder get Clifford back and keep the first.

As Hollinger notes, Oklahoma City had 21 second-rounders available to trade. Using two hardly empties the cupboard.

Of course, the basketball part still has to work. Clifford averaged 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists as a rookie before falling out of Sacramento’s regular rotation this season.

The Thunder are betting there’s still a useful player there. They’ve given themselves a chance to find out at a manageable cost, with that Spurs pick still in hand.