How Nique Clifford will 'honor' Russell Westbrook as he joins OKC Thunder

Nique Clifford, the newly acquired 24-year-old forward by the Oklahoma City Thunder, is set to honor his mentor Russell Westbrook as he joins the team. The Thunder acquired Clifford from the Sacramento Kings in a buy-low move, sending two future second-round picks in return. Clifford had lost his spot in the Kings' rotation after a successful rookie season. Instead of falling for a sunk cost fallacy, the Kings sent him to OKC, salvaging his value with draft picks.

Clifford will be a short-term help for the Thunder and an intriguing long-term project. The team hopes he can provide valuable bench minutes as a forward who can defend. Clifford's outside shooting is still developing, having shot 32% from three on limited volume in his career. However, the Thunder have time to help him reach his full potential as he is in the second year of a standard rookie-scale four-year contract.

Clifford already earned some goodwill with an exclusive interview with OKC reporter Nick Gallo. He revealed why he chose No. 18 as his jersey number, honoring his connection with Russell Westbrook. Clifford said his former teammate on the Kings wore No. 18 during his final NBA season, and he wanted to pay tribute to Westbrook by wearing the same number.

Additionally, Clifford chose the number because it is his family's best number and his birthday, as 1+8 equals 9, his birth date. This gesture of respect to Westbrook, who retired after an illustrious 18-year career, exemplifies Clifford's determination to learn from the NBA legend and develop as he joins his second NBA team.