Would Scott Perry Trade Any of His First Trio of Kings Rookies?

The Sacramento Kings are entering an important year two of their rebuild under Scott Perry, and now that they snagged Darius Acuff Jr. with the seventh pick in the draft, life should (hopefully) be easier for everyone going forward.

Perry's job now takes a dramatic shift as he focuses on building around Acuff, rather than trying to find a future star like last season. With this being his second offseason, Perry has quickly accumulated six rookies within the two years, with three last year and three this offseason. The trio of Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell from last offseason and Acuff, Alex Karaban, and Emanuel Sharp in the most recent draft.

The odds of all six players being on the team years from now feels low. It happens throughout the league with teams stockpiling and keeping all of their young players, but most of the time, at least some of the young players are used in trades to reshuffle rosters.

All three of Clifford, Raynaud, and Cardwell have been touted as building blocks for the Kings, but could any be moved at this year's trade deadline or in the near future?

Highest Value

Feb 1, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) dunks during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As it currently stands, Raynaud likely has the most value of the three after his breakout rookie year. Clifford is the higher draft pick, but Raynaud was the player stealing the majority of headlines and attention last season.

He finished with 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on 57.1% shooting from the field and 32.4% from three. And while that three-point percentage doesn't look like much, he improved from beyond the arc as the year came to a close.

Throw in the fact that he's making $2.2 million this year and has a $2.5 million team option next year before hitting restricted free agency. We'll have to see what Raynaud looks like in his second season, but he's already shown that he can far outplay that contract. Money is tight around the NBA, and the combination of a low contract, high impact player should be an easy sell for teams on the trade market.

Team Need

Apr 12, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Nique Clifford (5) drives to the basket during the second half against Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) with help from teammate forward Precious Achiuwa (9) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the most pressing questions regarding the Kings roster is the center rotation. Not only do Raynaud and Cardwell share a position, but Domantas Sabonis is still in the mix as well. Sabonis very well could be the first, and only, one to go, but for the time being, there's a glut of playable centers on the roster.

That leads to the likelihood of Perry taking advantage of the value that Raynaud and Cardwell have after seeing how all the puzzle pieces fit together. It would be hard to trade either of them, but if it's for a big move or a proven star, or even a role player, trading a recent second-round pick or undrafted free agent would be a great haul in hindsight.

Clifford seems the safest of the three, as he plays a position the Kings are still looking to fill on the wings. He doesn't have the most size on the team, but slots in well as the 2/3 combo guard to step into Zach LaVine's starting spot. He'll have to prove it in his second season, but Clifford being trade feels like a long shot unless it's for another young wing.

Any trade for the three would have to be the perfect fit, or the all in move. It doesn't feel like the Kings are quite ready for that move yet, but if Acuff plays better than expected and Sabonis returns to All-NBA form, the Kings have some assets at their disposal in the trio of sophomores.

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