The 2025 NBA Draft offers an incredibly deep class of prospects, especially Florida PG Walter Clayton Jr., who was a significant piece for the National Champion Florida Gators. After the National Championship, his stock rose signfiicantly, but Clayton's draft projection has cooled off leading to the NBA Draft.
Clayton Jr. was a leader on the court and had a few spectacular performances in the NCAA Tournament to help Florida win it all. In the NBA, Clayton will start his career as a rotation combo guard at best, mostly relying on his shooting to find a role.
In this scouting report, we'll give everything you need to know about Walter Clayton Jr. in the NBA Draft, including his draft projection, stats, combine performance, NBA player comparison, and more.
Walter Clayton Jr. College Stats
Clayton Jr. played four seasons in Division I, two at Iona and two at Florida. These are his career totals:
- 139 Games
- 15.2 Points Per Game
- 3.4 Rebounds Per Game
- 2.7 Assists Per Game
- 44.4 FG%
In his senior season at Florida, Clayton averaged 18.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 20254-25, and also won NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player and earning a spot on the All-American first-team.
Walter Clayton Jr. Combine Results
Clayton Jr. participated in the NBA Combine, and here are those results and measurements.
- Height: 6 feet, 2 inches
- Weight: 199 pounds
- Hand Length: 8.25 inches
- Hand Width: 9.75 inches
- Wingspan: 6 feet, 4 inches
- Standing Reach: 8 feet, 1 1/2 inches
- Standing Vertical Jump: 29 1/2 nches
Walter Clayton Jr. Game To Watch
April 4, 2025 vs. Auburn (Final Four)
It’s tough to highlight one game for Clayton Jr. during the NCAA Tournament; he scored 20 or more points in four of the six tournament games and was named NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
This performance against Auburn was his second 30+ point performance, with a season-high 34 points, but this was his best overall game. He played well off the ball to find open opportunities, and he came through in the clutch late with eight points in the final two minutes to secure the 79-73 win.
Walter Clayton Jr.: 2025 Scouting Report
Below we'll breakdown Walter Clayton Jr.'s NBA Draft scouting report, including his strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths
Here are the strengths of Walter Clayton Jr. for the 2025 NBA Draft.
- Versatile on offense: Clayton Jr. can score several ways; off the screen, catch and shoot, and in transition. That makes him available no matter what type of offense the team wants to run.
- Became a great facilitator: Passing was never a strong suit until the 2024-25 season. This year, he had a career-high 4.2 assists per game and a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio, which shows his maturity as a distributor and playmaker.
- Can contribute in multiple ways: Clayton Jr. doesn’t need to be putting up points to play a role. In the National Championship game, he scored only 11 points, but he effectively controlled the flow of the offense and finished with a game-high seven assists.
Weaknesses
Here are the weaknesses of Duke G Walter Clayton Jr. for the 2025 NBA Draft.
- Below average size: Coming in at 6-foot-2 with a 6-foot-4 wingspan, Clayton Jr. is on the smaller size for a combo guard. He could struggle matching up against bigger on-ball guards
- Not very athletic: Clayton Jr. has some speed and explosives, but not enough for your prototypical starting guard in the league. He might struggle playing off the ball and get into a position to make a play.
- Coming in as an older player: He’ll be 23 coming into the league, which makes him one of the oldest prospects. That’s always a concern for teams.
Walter Clayton Jr. NBA Comparison: Jamal Murray
Murray is a prime example of someone who was a late bloomer, and it took a few years for him to become a high-level playmaker. Murray's shooting range has widened over the years, and Clayton Jr. can already shoot all over the court.
Murray became the player he is now when he turned into a better ball handler. Clayton Jr. isn’t ready to be a primary point guard; he could be a combo guard, but if he improves as a dribbler, he could become someone averaging 20 points per game.
Walter Clayton Jr. NBA Draft Projection
Most experts have Clayton Jr. going late in the first round, likely in the 20s. He’s already coming in as a high-tier shooter, which in the current NBA, a team could never have enough of. With an outstanding performance in the NCAA Tournament, it would be surprised to see him all out of the first round.
If he goes later, he’ll likely be on a playoff contender, which means those teams have their starters with established roles. It might become difficult for Clayton Jr. to fit in early on, but we saw him become a star on the biggest stage in college basketball, so the bright lights don’t rattle him.
Clayton Jr. could develop into a star-caliber player if he makes plays on his own — but that will take some time.
Make NBA Predictions on PrizePicks
The NBA Draft introduces you to the future superstars of the league, including Walter Clayton, who stole the hearts of basketball fans when he dominated throughout the NCAA Tournament.
After the Draft, you can make predictions on 2025 player projections in the NBA SZN game on PrizePicks, including rookies like Knueppel. NBA SZN is the easiest way to get real money action on your 2025-26 NBA fantasy basketball predictions by picking More or Less on stats like points, assists, rebounds, and more.
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