Walter Clayton Jr. Signs Two-Way NBA Deal With Mavericks
Former Gator Walter Clayton Jr. has agreed to a two-way NBA deal with the Dallas Mavericks according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The guard was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this week to meet the NBA’s roster limit and cleared waivers.
Clayton was drafted No. 18 overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2025 NBA Draft and was quickly traded to the Utah Jazz. Memphis acquired him from Utah in a February trade. He now heads to the Lone Star State to join the Mavericks.
In 45 games with the Jazz, Clayton averaged 6.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 39.8% from the field. After the trade to Memphis, he played 24 games and averaged 9.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists on 36.6% shooting.
In his final season at Florida, Clayton averaged a team-high 18.3 points, along with 3.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
During Florida’s 2025 national championship run, Clayton was a fan favorite known for his clutch performances. In the final minutes of the Elite Eight win over Texas Tech, he hit multiple 3-pointers to bring the Gators back from a 10-point deficit.
He followed that with 34 points against top overall seed Auburn in the national semifinal, sending Florida to the title game. After scoring 11 points against Houston in the championship game, Clayton was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
Category: Gators Men's Basketball, NBA
