Early Summer League Practice Takeaways: PG Devin Carter, rookies acclimating

“We’re going to make them feel us, we’re going to communicate, and then we’re going to compete.”

Sacramento Kings 2025 Summer League head coach Dipesh Mistry emphasized those keys as what he’s “really harping on” in their limited practice days before Thursday’s first game in Las Vegas. Monday was their first practice as a group.

Rookie draft picks Nique Clifford and Maximue Raynaud will have the most eyes on them, but Sacramento’s roster has a notable amount of “experienced” players.

Their full roster can be seen here.

With minimal time to gain cohesion as a group, Mistry expects his group to play with a defensive intensity, ideally translating to offensive efficiency in the process.

After reviewing the film on their first practice, Mistry felt they didn’t have enough defensive pressure for 94 feet.

“It’s not to try to get a steal, it’s just to shave off some shot clock,” he said.

Expect full-court defensive pressure from the Kings in Vegas.

They’re also going with a point guard-by-committee strategy, which will include the newest two-way Isaiah Stevens (who went to Colorado State with Nique Clifford) and reigning G-League Finals MVP Mason Jones.

Devin Carter’s Growth: Player & Leader

Among the most intriguing to track is Devin Carter’s growth in that aspect. Selected by the previous Kings’ general manager, Monte McNair, at the end of the 2024 NBA Draft lottery, Carter wasn’t a true, traditional point guard coming out of Providence.

The 6’2 guard was tasked with improving his point guard abilities in his debut season, but was unfortunately derailed by multiple injuries.

“Just learning, watching film,” Carter said about the role after Tuesday’s practice. “I’ve never played point guard in my life.”

As he acknowledged, it’s a “good opportunity” for him to learn the position. In preparation, the 23-year-old has been watching film on making reads and controlling the offensive flow.

His hard work this offseason has been noticed by the coaching staff, as he has embraced a leadership role for this summer squad.

When Coach Mistry was asked what stood out to him after day one, he quickly pointed to Carter.

“To be honest with you, I really enjoyed Devin’s leadership,” Mistry said. “He’s been working hard in the summer, every day he’s been in here, and I just like how he controlled this team… not just with his play but with his leadership of his team.”

There was some uncertainty whether the second-year player would participate in Summer League.

Now that he’s locked in, it’s his time to shine after not participating last season.

Despite struggling to catch a rhythm in Sacramento, Carter excelled when sent down to the G-League.

Going against similar competition, albeit in a more chaotic format, he’ll have a chance to turn heads and gain positive momentum coming into the season.

“I feel like I’ve progressed a lot and hopefully I can showcase that this week in Vegas,” Carter said.

Colorado State Duo Reunites in Sacramento

Isaiah Stevens and David Roddy helped recruit Nique Clifford to Colorado State coming out of high school. Clifford opted to go to nearby Colorado instead.

Three years later, Clifford has just concluded a turbulent collegiate season and entered the transfer portal. Roddy was selected in the first round as Clifford moved to Colorado State.

Stevens was still on the roster, headed into his fifth and final season.

“I thought we had him,” Stevens joked about trying to recruit Clifford years ago. “He was playing video games the whole time on his visit, so I thought he was pretty locked in.”

Now, they’re reunited in Sacramento as Stevens is expected to sign a two-way deal with the Kings, a league source told Sactown Sports.

“It’s really cool, full circle that we’re playing together again,” Clifford said. “I’ve known him since high school… that was my guy in college… super cool and glad that he’s here.”

Stevens’ 306 assists with the Sioux Falls Skyforce last season were the most in a G-League season since 2014-15. Playmaking is his key ability, which could be an interesting addition for Vegas and Stockton.

When it comes to Clifford, his easygoing personality stood out. He’s walking into his first NBA opportunity looking to embrace the moment.

“Just playing the game the right way, making a winning impact. I’d say defending, rebounding, doing the things I was doing in college,” the 2025 first-rounder said.

“Making easy plays. Making the game simple. So, that’s kind of what I’m coming in here to do, and I’ve done that since college. So, I want to carry that over.”

Having played point guard in high school, Clifford possesses a solid handle and will get opportunities to facilitate the offense as well, according to Coach Mistry.

Maxime Raynaud’s Two-Way Potential

Size, length, and athleticism have been crucial NBA skill sets for years. Now, it seems like shooting has catapulted to the top of the list.

Maxime Raynaud, selected 42nd by Sacramento in 2025, has an intriguing combination of his own.

He consistently managed a 20-point double-double last year at Stanford, shooting 34.7 percent from three on 5.5 attempts per game. Oh yeah, and he’s seven feet tall.

Size was often an overwhelming factor in Raynaud’s collegiate success, as the NBA level features more players with his archetype.

“Let the game come to you,” Ranyaud said about learning to score at the next level. “To be honest, I feel like you shoot way more threes in the NBA. That’s something that I was doing last year, so that’s going to translate pretty well.”

“For now, just trying to focus on the defensive end,” he continued. “I think that’s the biggest room for improvement I have, and then the offense will take care of itself. I’m not worried about it.”

Coach Mistry echoed a similar idea, saying Raynaud “can be anywhere on the floor” offensively. While more renowned for his combination of size, touch, and fluidity, defensive potential exists.

Communication and effort are early staples, with the former being especially important for backline defenders like Raynaud.

“The one thing that’s really popping out is his defensive communication. When a ball screen happens, he’s yelling,” Mistry said. “It’s really helping our team right now.”

Defense isn’t a projected strength of Maxime, as his size can limit his defensive mobility on the perimeter. But the NBA is a different game, and Mistry seems optimistic about the early signs.

More Sacramento Kings coverage on Sactown Sports

The Sacramento Kings will descend upon the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League this week, as fans will be able to get their first look at rookie wing Nique Clifford and center Maxime Raynaud.

Clifford, the 24th overall pick in last month’s 2025 NBA Draft, and Raynaud, the 42nd pick, will be joined by several familiar faces–some who suited up in regular-season games for the Kings last season.

Reigning NBA G League Finals MVP Mason Jones is on the roster, as is Sacramento forward Isaac Jones, who recently had his 2025-26 team option picked up by new general manager Scott Perry.

Read more to see Sacramento’s full 2025 Las Vegas Summer League Roster:

Sacramento Kings set Las Vegas Summer League roster

Upcoming offseason schedule for the Sacramento Kings:

• Monday, June 30th – NBA free agent negotiations can begin
• Sunday, July 6th – NBA free agents can officially sign with teams
• July 10th-20th – Las Vegas NBA Summer League
• August TBD – Release of 2025-26 regular season schedule
• September TBD – Start of NBA training camps for the 2025-26 season

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