Draft Day finally arrived, and many eyes have been on Walter Clayton Jr.
Florida has not exactly been producing top NBA talent in recent years, but Clayton Jr. seemed to have changed that. After a senior season in which he led the Gators to their first national title in 18 years, the 6-foot-2 player was on everybody’s list.
He was nailing interviews and having the best of drills, too. Clayton Jr. had interest from teams like the Nets, Heat, and Jazz. And as draft day approached, his first-round projections only kept climbing with every passing minute.
Todd Golden Shares What Makes Walter Clayton Jr. a Coveted Name
Florida head coach Todd Golden could not contain his excitement with his former star getting his name called on draft night. On Wednesday night at the Barclays Center, Walter Clayton Jr. was drafted by the Utah Jazz as the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft.
The Jazz got the No. 18 pick by trading the 21st selection and two second-rounders to the Washington Wizards, who originally owned the spot in the first round.
So, what makes Clayton Jr. such a coveted name? And how did he land with the Jazz? Well, Golden has the answers to that, too.
“It starts with his character,” Golden said in an interview with Andy Katz. “He’s just an amazing young man, incredibly coachable.”
Clayton transferred from Iona and then went on to adapt to SEC gameplays like it was easy. Despite the shaky start, the MAAC Player of the Year turned Florida’s offense by the middle of his junior year. And it is safe to say, the Gators never looked back.
“Incredibly coachable, a guy that wants to be a leader… just has a great competitive nature about him.” 🗣️@TheAndyKatz spoke with Florida HC Todd Golden about projected 1st-Rd pick Walter Clayton Jr. pic.twitter.com/L1Yf5fcPUJ
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 25, 2025
As Golden sees it, “You know, it was an adjustment for him early on in his junior year coming from the MAAC, and it took him a little bit. But by the middle of that junior year, he was playing fantastic in the SEC.”
Clayton Jr. averaged 18.3 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game in the 2024–25 season. He shot 38.6% from deep and led Florida to 36 wins, which is the most in the program’s history for a single season. The previous record was 36 wins set by the 2013-2014 team.
“I’d argue he was the best player in college basketball last year,” Golden said. “Best player on the floor in the SEC tournament, the NCAA tournament.” That’s no exaggeration either. Clayton Jr., after all, was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four and the West Regional.”
“Additionally, he had some great scoring performances, including 33 points against Colorado and a clutch overtime-forcing three against Kentucky. “And he’s not just a scorer. He can space the floor, make plays out of the ball screen… range up to 30 feet,” Golden added.
That kind of range stretches defenses. But the intriguing factor with Clayton is the poise he has shown under pressure. While it is true he had turnover troubles, with an average of 2.4 per game last season, the tradeoff was a constant scoring threat who could change the game’s momentum.
To add on, defensively, Clayton Jr. was one of the best players during the NCAA tournament. He posted what is arguably the most decorated individual season in Florida history, setting the school record with 713 points and becoming the program’s first-ever consensus first-team All-American.
As Golden rightly puts it, “He’s a guy that these NBA franchises are going to look at and say, ‘You know, this is a guy that we can play next year, that can help us win.’”
Tonight, Clayton is with his family, soaking it all in before the NBA hullabaloo with the Jazz begins. But from the sound of it, Golden believes his former floor general is already NBA-ready.
