Walter Clayton Jr. receives green room invite to 2025 NBA Draft

Former Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. will have the option of attending the NBA Draft in person. According to a report from ESPN, Clayton and his family have received an invite to the green room for the big event.

Clayton is considered a potential first-round NBA Draft pick after completing a stellar career at Florida. He helped guide the Gators to the 2025 national championship.

Walter Clayton initially began his career at Iona, where he spent two seasons before transferring to Florida. By the time Clayton was done with the Gators, he had become the program’s first ever first-team All-American.

The talented shooting guard with range to spare did it all for Florida. During his senior season, Walter Clayton averaged 18.3 points, 4.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.

He shot 38.6% from 3-point range and 87.5% from the charity stripe. All that added up to him becoming one of the nation’s best scorers.

He was lights out in the NCAA Tournament, particularly when the going got tough. He stuffed the stat sheet with 34 points, four rebounds and two assists in a Final Four matchup against Auburn. Not only that, but he also shot 61.1% from the field and 62.5% from 3-point range. The Gator superstar drilled five of his eight 3-pointers, once again setting the nets ablaze.

In delivering such a special performance, Clayton became the first player with back-to-back 30-point games in the Elite Eight and national semifinals since Larry Bird in 1979, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Clayton poured in 30 points against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight, fueling the Gators’ furious rally and punching their tickets to the Final Four.

At 6 foot 3, there are some concerns about his height at the next level. However, Walter Clayton proved pretty definitively that he can handle playing point guard, doing so at a national championship level for the Gators.

Before he landed at Iona, Walter Clayton was not ranked by the On3 Industry Rankings. He was rated by only one service, receiving four-star status and a 94 grade from On3.

Walter Clayton was the No. 22 overall player in the class by On3. He was also the No. 3 combo guard in the class.