The Florida Gators beat their SEC brethren at Auburn to advance to their first national championship game since Todd Golden took over as head coach. It's a prime opportunity for the Gators to add to a rich, often underrated legacy of college basketball excellence. Which is nice, since the football team is in shambles.
It has been a true collective effort, but Florida has a clear lodestar in senior point guard Walter Clayton Jr. This is not the first time Clayton has popped up on NBA radars ā he was No. 43 on the FanSided big board last April ā but this March Madness run has taken his stock to the next level. There has not been a more dominant force in college hoops over the last month.
This is hardly an underdog story with the No. 1 seed, but Clayton's success with Florida continues to amaze. He was at Iona a couple years ago; he was a little-heralded transfer who immediately burst onto the scene for a spunky Gators squad. Now, he's the main character of basketball's greatest month. Clayton dropped 34 points and five made 3s on Auburn in the Final Four.
Payton Pritchard has been the popular comp of late. The parallels are rather glaring.
ā NBA Draft Dude š¤ (@CoreyTulaba) April 6, 2025
Clayton was No. 47 on the FanSided big board before March Madness, but (spoiler) his stock has improved tremendously over the last month. He is not without his warts as a 22-year-old, 6-foot-2 point guard, but Clayton's productivity under the bright lights has taken on an undeniable quality. You can't watch him and not envision years of success at the next level.
If the Gators finish things off Monday night against Houston, it will be with Clayton leading the charge against one of college basketball's scrappiest defenses. In the meantime, here are a few logical fits with Clayton emerging as a potential late first-round pick.
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3. Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are at the very beginning of what figures to be an extensive rebuild, so perhaps Sean Marks ought to skew toward younger prospects. That said, the Nets' backcourt is essentially unmolded clay. There isn't much shape or structure there. Both D'Angelo Russell and Cam Thomas are free agents this summer. Brooklyn needs somebody to generate the offense.
Let's assume that Thomas re-signs. Clayton probably won't be the primary on-ball fulcrum from day one, but he's going to carve out a role and put numbers on the board, even if he's almost exclusively a microwave scorer. The Nets won't do much winning next season, but the Clayton-Thomas buckets brigade can absolutely provide a weary fanbase with plenty of live-wire entertainment.
Jordi Fernandez has quietly emerged as one of the NBA's very best offensive minds. The Nets know how to leverage their disparate strengths and maximize a mishmash roster. Clayton is an elite shooter, on and off ball, and he's a productive self-creator to boot. The passing needs work, so he's not necessarily Brooklyn's table-setter of the future, but buckets always help. Brooklyn has three picks in the 25-38 range.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are currently in line for the first pick of the second round. Few teams need an offensive shot in the arm more than Minnesota, which Clayton figures to provide in a jiffy. There is potential overlap with Rob Dillingham, last year's No. 8 pick, but both can find a home in the Wolves backcourt next to (or behind) Anthony Edwards.
Minnesota already gets up more 3s than most teams, so Clayton fits right into Chris Finch's style of offense. What gives him a leg up, however, is his ability to get downhill with shifty handles and a strong frame. Clayton absorbs contact and finishes well in traffic despite his short stature and limited vertical pop. He gives the Wolves another ball-handler capable of penetrating the teeth of the defense and generating offense from scratch when a set stalls.
There are valid defensive concerns with Clayton at the next level, but Minnesota is elite on that end of the floor. Rudy Gobert can still mask many sins on the perimeter. In that respect, Clayton couldn't ask for a more suitable NBA home. Plus, he'd get to win games and compete for a title right out of the gate.
1. Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are so close to perennial contention in the East. Franz Wagner has emerged as a legitimate two-way star this season, and Paolo Banchero ain't far behind. The Magic have a ton of malleable, athletic wings and bigs who are comfortable guarding across the positional spectrum, all occupying a variety of offensive roles. That is the modern NBA.
What the Magic lack so clearly is a consistent offensive pop in the backcourt. Jalen Suggs' injury has no doubt exacerbated these issues, but Orlando's low 3-point rate and general struggles at the point guard position are what will hold them back in the playoffs. Clayton, a Florida kid who grew up 90 minutes down the highway from Orlando, could give this Magic offense the boost it needs.
Clayton's high-volume shooting alone should benefit the Magic, but he's also a dangerous slasher and mid-range scorer. He gives Orlando another source of on-ball creation, which it so desperately needs. If the playmaking vision improves even slightly, it's not hard to imagine Clayton starting games in Orlando before long. This fits from a basketball and a sentimental perspective. The Magic, currently in possession of the No. 23 pick, figure to look long and hard at the local product.
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