The NBA draft is seven weeks away and one local prospect could be selected in the first round.
Many draft analysts are projecting Colorado State guard Nique Clifford as a mid first-round pick. If it happens, he becomes just the fourth Rams player to be selected in the first round, joining Bill Green (1963), Jason Smith (2007) and David Roddy (2022).
It would also be the second straight year a Colorado prep star was picked in the first round, joining former Prairie View standout Dalton Knecht. Clifford starred at The Vanguard School in Colorado Springs.
Here’s a look at where national analysts are predicting he will be drafted:
Bleacher Report | Jonathan Wasserman | Updated May 5
No. 15 to Oklahoma City Thunder (via Miami)
“Nique Clifford’s 21 points, seven boards and six assists weren’t enough to hold off Maryland, but his overall production and development from a year ago definitely won more NBA scouts.
“He had come off as a prospect to watch this season based on his ability to play a Swiss Army knife role by finishing plays, passing, defending different spots and making enough open threes. But he quickly turned into a top-option skill player who can get his own shot or serve as the offense’s playmaker.” See the full mock draft.
CBS Sports | Adam Finklestein | Updated May 5
No. 15 to Oklahoma City Thunder (via Miami)
“Clifford is an athletic wing who thinks the game at a high-level and can also really pass the ball. If the shooting gains we’ve seen recently prove to be sustainable, then he looks poised to evolve into a 3-and-D wing with some secondary playmaking on top. Even OKC, a team flush with young assets, could use one of those.” See the full mock draft.
Yahoo! Sports | Kevin O’Connor | Updated April 30
No. 16 to Orlando Magic
“Clifford is a tough-as-nails wing who does it all. He defends multiple positions, crashes the boards and scores from everywhere. As a super senior with only Mountain West pedigree, he lacks experience against high-level competition despite his age. But his skill-set would, in theory, allow him to fit right away on Orlando’s roster, providing shooting to a team that ranked 25th in 3-point attempts and last in percentage.” See the full mock draft.
The Athletic | Sam Vecenie | Updated May 1
No. 17 to Minnesota Timberwolves (via Detroit)
“Clifford had about as strong of a close to the season as a player can have, leading Colorado State from the middle of the Mountain West in January to the cusp of the Sweet 16 if not for a Derik Queen game-winner as time expired in the Round of 32. From Feb. 8 onward, Clifford averaged 21.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, five assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 51 percent from the field, 47 percent from 3 and 80 percent from the line. He’s a 6-6 wing who can dribble, pass, shoot and defend, which makes him a really solid plug-and-play option for a Timberwolves team that needs some cheap rotational options moving forward, given the deals they will likely have to shell out for Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid this summer to keep their core together.” See the full mock draft.
The Ringer | J. Kyle Mann | Updated April 30
No. 17 to Minnesota Timberwolves (via Detroit)
“If the experiences of Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. are any indication, it’s clear that Minnesota’s standard for staying on the floor in a meaningful way is high. That’s an exciting thing for a franchise that has desperately wanted to win for decades, but it makes getting better a tricky thing for young players. Clifford was a late bloomer in college and thus is an older player, so his pure upside might not have Minnesotans leaping for joy. But he has a wide offering of skills, even if each individual skill doesn’t project to rise to an elite level: He’s a consistent off-ball mover who can hit 3s, he has experience working in pick-and-rolls, and he even started to add some post touches at the elbows. Mix that with some demonstrated ability to pass the ball, and you can see how he would help to shore up key areas of need for the Wolves while maintaining their defensive identity.” See the full mock draft.
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