Walter Clayton Jr. Could be a Steal for Utah Jazz

In the last handful of years, the Utah Jazz have gambled on a few guard prospects, none of which have proven to be long-term impactful NBA players just yet.

While Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier still possess immense upside — and have plenty of time to iron out the kinks of their games — they’re still early in their developmental stage and its shows. With that, the Jazz’ backcourt rotation has been somewhat of a thorn for the team the last few seasons.

But Utah has reinforcements on the way.

One guard the Jazz should have little worry about panning out is Walter Clayton Jr., the No. 18 pick at the 2025 NBA Draft, and their second selection following Ace Bailey.

A four-year collegiate player, Clayton’s been on draft radars since his days at Iona, and those radars lit up as the guard led Florida to the national championship this past season.

At 6-foot-3, he tows the line between point and shooting guard perfecting, seeing a blend of skills such as blistering 3-point shooting, driving ability, passing, stingy defense and plenty more.

He parlayed his late college success right into Summer League weeks ago, where he averaged over 20 points across two games on a high volume of shots. He certainly looked the part, melting between backcourt positions in cruising around off-ball or even handling the ball in moderation. 

Walter’s NBA role will be similar, with him playing both on and off the ball plenty. His superior 3-point shooting and knack for moving should allow him plenty of time at the essential two-guard, though there’s a chance he’ll be able to initiate offense for the Jazz on occasion.

Even in an early scouting report from NBA Draft on SI on Walter, his shooting was apparent: "What makes him so special is his ability to knock down shots from the perimeter. While his shooting efficiency from deep isn’t jaw-dropping — mostly due to shot difficulty and distance — he knocks down a ton of triples on high volume. He’s also a great free throw shooter and everything indicates his overall shooting will translate moving forward."

Regardless, it seems the Jazz have drafted one of the better and more versatile guards in the class to frequent their rotation for the long haul.