Kings vs. Hornets: College teammates clash in NBA Summer League finals
The Sacramento Kings will go up against one of the top picks in the 2025 NBA draft when they face the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA Summer League championship game Sunday at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
The contest will also feature an intriguing matchup between Kings rookie Nique Clifford and Hornets swingman K.J. Simpson, who were college teammates at Colorado.
Charlotte’s lineup features Kon Knueppel, who came out of Duke as the No. 4 pick in June’s draft, and Simpson, who was a second-round pick in 2024. Simpson and Clifford spent two years together at Colorado before Clifford transferred to Colorado State.
Isaac Jones scored 36 points on 13-of-17 shooting to lead the Kings to a 98-88 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Saturday’s semifinals. Jaylen Sims scored 25 points in Charlotte’s 109-80 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the other semifinal.
Jones averaged 17.2 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 66.7% to help the Kings win their first five games in Las Vegas. Clifford is averaging 16.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 55.4% from the field and 50% from 3-point range. Devin Carter is averaging 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals.
The Hornets have been led by Simpson and Knueppel. Simpson is averaging 19.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.5 steals. Walker is averaging 12.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists.
Liam McNeeley and Tidjane Salaun also played well for Charlotte before being shut down due to injuries. McNeeley missed the past two games due to right Achilles tendinopathy. Salaun missed the past three games with right Achilles soreness.
