New Lakers Trade Rumors Reveal Nique Clifford Was Eyed by LA, More Before Thunder-Kings Deal

Nique Clifford is on his way to the Oklahoma City Thunder after being traded by the rebuilding Sacramento Kings on Sunday, but there reportedly were a handful of teams interested in him before the deal.

According to NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers were all interested in Clifford before he was dealt to the Thunder.

The Thunder traded a pair of second-round picks for Clifford, the 24th overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft. It's unclear what the other three teams were willing to give up for Clifford, but the Thunder ultimately won the race for the role player.

Clifford had a solid rookie season last year, averaging 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists off the bench. He played a small role so far this year, averaging just 6.3 minutes in Sacramento, but he should get some more playing time in OKC.

The Thunder have been rattled by injuries so far this season, with Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace both out for several months and potentially the rest of the season.

Clifford won't make up for their absences, but he'll at least give them some depth on the wing.