2 Summer League Standouts Turning Heads for Sacramento Kings

2 Summer League Standouts Turning Heads for Sacramento Kings originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The NBA Summer League is not always a direct indicator of who can shine for a team once the actual season rolls around. Even so, the Sacramento Kings have to be encouraged by what they are seeing from Nique Clifford and Devin Carter.

The Kings improved to 3-0 at Summer League after a 94-76 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Those two young players had a big hand in that victory.

General manager Scott Perry had to trade into the first round in the 2025 NBA Draft to grab Clifford with the 24th overall pick. Perry should be feeling rewarded for his troubles right now.

Clifford posted 19 points, three rebounds, three assists, three steals, and one block in the win against the Suns. The all-around impact by the Kings rookie was only dampened by his five turnovers during the contest.

The upside of Clifford was touted before the 2025 NBA Draft. The early indicators should have the Kings feeling pretty good about the impact the young star could have in his first season.

Carter should not be forgotten here either. The Kings guard posted 17 points, three assists, three steals, and two rebounds against Phoenix. That included connecting on 3-of-5 from distance.

Injuries prevented Carter from having a full opportunity to shine in his rookie season. The soon-to-be second-year guard only averaged 3.8 points, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals in his 36 appearance for the Kings during his first campaign.

Encouraging performances like this will have Kings fans hoping both Carter and Clifford can help contribute to their ascent in a tough Western Conference during the upcoming 2025-26 season. They will need all the support they can get to reestablish themselves as a playoff team.

Check out the Inside the Kings homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.