Kings’ Maxime Raynaud details friendship with Nique Clifford before NBA Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Maxime Raynaud and Nique Clifford will begin their NBA journeys as teammates – and old friends.
You see, although the two rookies didn’t share the court leading up to being selected by the Kings in the 2025 NBA Draft, they both established a bond leading up to one of the most important days of their respective careers.
During an interview with NBC Sports California’s Morgan Ragan on “Kings Central,” Raynaud, Sacramento’s No. 42 overall selection, detailed how his relationship with his new teammate formed leading up to the draft.
“I think we were both kind of in awe of the process, sharing advice on the workouts,” Raynaud told Ragan. “We also got to know each other even more and joke around.
“Funny enough, I think we got along pretty well right away. There was no little awkward time when you meet someone new.
“He was in the hot tub, and I was in the cold tub. We actually talked for so long that once I came out, I couldn’t move anymore. It just happened naturally.”
The 7-foot center was a star at Stanford, earning First-Team All-ACC honors as a senior after averaging 20 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals.
A round earlier, on the other hand, Sacramento traded up into the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft for the No. 24 overall pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder, acquiring the rights to Colorado State’s Clifford in exchange for a protected 2027 first-round pick.
Despite not knowing where they would end up, both rookies quickly established a bond in between pre-draft workouts.
The rest, as we know, is history.
“Once I got drafted by Sacramento, I was like, ‘Oh, he got drafted by Sac, too,’” Raynaud concluded. “That was a full-circle moment. I was super excited for him.
“He’s also someone that we played against when he was at Colorado in the Pac 12. And seeing him perform well at Colorado State this year was amazing. I’m super happy it ended this way.”
Raynaud and Clifford, as teammates and friends, now will look to make a positive impression in Sacramento.
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Kings’ Maxime Raynaud details friendship with Nique Clifford before NBA Draft
Maxime Raynaud and Nique Clifford will begin their NBA journeys as teammates – and old friends.
You see, although the two rookies didn’t share the court leading up to being selected by the Kings in the 2025 NBA Draft, they both established a bond leading up to one of the most important days of their respective careers.
During an interview with NBC Sports California’s Morgan Ragan on “Kings Central,” Raynaud, Sacramento’s No. 42 overall selection, detailed how his relationship with his new teammate formed leading up to the draft.
SIGN UP HERE “I think we were both kind of in awe of the process, sharing advice on the workouts,” Raynaud told Ragan. “We also got to know each other even more and joke around.
“Funny enough, I think we got along pretty well right away. There was no little awkward time when you meet someone new.
“He was in the hot tub, and I was in the cold tub. We actually talked for so long that once I came out, I couldn’t move anymore. It just happened naturally.”
The 7-foot center was a star at Stanford, earning First-Team All-ACC honors as a senior after averaging 20 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals.
NBA
A round earlier, on the other hand, Sacramento traded up into the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft for the No. 24 overall pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder, acquiring the rights to Colorado State’s Clifford in exchange for a protected 2027 first-round pick.
Despite not knowing where they would end up, both rookies quickly established a bond in between pre-draft workouts.
The rest, as we know, is history.
“Once I got drafted by Sacramento, I was like, ‘Oh, he got drafted by Sac, too,’” Raynaud concluded. “That was a full-circle moment. I was super excited for him.
“He’s also someone that we played against when he was at Colorado in the Pac 12. And seeing him perform well at Colorado State this year was amazing. I’m super happy it ended this way.”
Raynaud and Clifford, as teammates and friends, now will look to make a positive impression in Sacramento.
