Walter Clayton Jr., the guy who led Florida to the 2025 national championship and was a 2025 first-round pick, didn’t even stay on the market for two days. ESPN’s Shams Charania dropped the bomb: Clayton just signed a two-way deal with the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, literally 48 hours after the Memphis Grizzlies shockingly cut him loose while finalizing their opening-night roster.
From Lottery Pick to Waiver Wire to Dallas
This dude has already had an eventful NBA journey, and he’s barely out of the gate. Clayton, the No. 18 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, started his rookie season with the Utah Jazz. He jumped into 69 games for them, even getting six starts, and averaged 7.8 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.0 rebounds across 20.4 minutes per game. Not bad for a rookie, right? But then February hit, and Memphis acquired him as part of the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade. What happened after that? His production actually jumped! In 24 games with the Grizzlies, Clayton averaged 9.7 points and 5.7 assists. So, to go from a promising increase in production to getting waived two days before the season starts? That’s a punch to the gut, but Dallas clearly saw something.
The Florida Connection and What It Means
The move to Dallas isn’t just a random landing spot. There’s a Florida connection waiting for Clayton with Mavericks head coach Dusty May. May, who was an assistant with the Gators from 2015-18, is now calling the shots for Dallas after leading Michigan to the 2026 national championship. He was hired by the Mavs in June. Now, get this: even though May coached at Florida and Clayton is a decorated Gators star, they never actually crossed paths at the collegiate level. Clayton is one of the most decorated players in Florida basketball history, leading them to the 2025 national championship and earning NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors after averaging a ridiculous 18.3 points in his final college season. Dallas is bringing in a winner, pure and simple.
This two-way deal is huge for Clayton. It gives him an immediate path right back into an NBA organization after Memphis decided to move on. He’s got a fresh start, a familiar college connection in the coach, and a chance to prove why he was a first-round pick. Keep an eye on Clayton; he’s got something to prove, and the Mavericks just gave him the stage.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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