THE SACRAMENTO Kings added a guard and a forward to their roster at the 2025 NBA Draft in Chicago last month as they look towards the future as their current batch of stars head towards the twilight of their storied careers.

The Kings have gone through plenty of changes over the past 12, adding a new core with the star trio of Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach Lavine leading the way as Sacramento looks to return to the postseason. However, the Kings did not make the playoffs this season, and instead returned to the draft.

At the 2025 intake, the Kings added a pair of exciting talents, with both players touted as first round selections throughout the past 12 months, and both will be given time to develop with the tutelage of the team’s current stars.

Sacramento Kings

Drafted Players

Nique Clifford (pick 24), Maxime Raynaud (pick 42)

The Kings were able to walk away with two strong prospects at the 2025 NBA Draft, potentially finding a pair of hidden gems as Sacramento got bang for its buck in an incredibly deep draft class that will have plenty of stars emerge.

After entering the draft with just the 42nd pick, the Kings made a draft night trade in the first round to acquire the services of Clifford with the 24th selection, who was projected by many to go much higher on night one.

Clifford is a mature aged wing who will be able to make an impact early in his career, and could play valuable bench minutes in his debut season as the Kings look to return to the postseason with their current core.

His game is tremendously balanced with excellent tools on both sides of the floor, making him a low-risk bet as a draft prospect. Defensively, he has immense versatility and can guard multiple positions while having great instincts on that side of the ball. On the offensive end, he can score at all three levels and is capable of hitting the scoreboard no matter the lineup he joins.

Clifford has been tremendous in the Summer League as well, posting numbers of 18.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks on 60.6 per cent shooting from the field and 70 per cent shooting from three-point land through his first three games, and looks a key piece of Sacramento’s future.

With their second selection of the draft, the Kings acquired Raynaud, who remarkably fell to pick 42 despite being touted as a first-round talent. The seven-foot-one big man looks set to be one of the best value picks of the draft, and could be in the rotation sooner rather than later.

He is a modern NBA forward/center, displaying the ability to stretch the floor and pass well, alongside his natural gifts of being able to rebound and protect the paint thanks to his physical traits, and should be able to fit into the top level nicely.

He too has had an excellent start to his Summer League campaign, producing 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and two assists on 53.8 per cent from the field and 33.3 per cent from behind the arc across two games. His performances are better than the numbers suggest too, with his court vision being a real highlight despite not directly resulting in assists.

Overall, the Kings appear to have nailed their two selections at the NBA Draft for 2025, and may have just set up their future in a big way, with both Clifford and Raynaud looming as central figures for the team over the next decade.