After testing the NBA waters last offseason and opting to come back, Florida Basketball star Walter Clayton Jr. has cemented himself as a legend in Gainesville after leading the Gators to their third national title in program history on Monday.
The decision to come back has also boosted his draft stock, and there are some mock drafts floating around that could keep Clayton close to home.
Florida Basketball: Magical
Yahoo's Kevin O'Connor dropped his latest NBA mock draft following the NCAA Tournament, and Clayon is still hovering around the spot that most mock drafts seem to have him pegged, which is as a mid-to-late first-round guy.
This mock draft in particular, has him going to the Orlando Magic at pick 23, and as O'Conner explains, it is a match that would suit both parties well:
"After selecting McNeeley earlier in the first round, here's another shooter for the Magic. The best shooter in all of March Madness. Clayton hit some of the clutchest shots all tournament long, leading Florida to the NCAA championship game before playing with great effort on defense and making some slick passes to help lead them to the title. Throughout his collegiate career, he showed major limitations as a defender and as a decision-maker. But he's a fearless shooter with the versatility to take any shot at any moment. And that's precisely what the Magic need."
Clayton isn't the only Gator feeling the love in the mock draft. Despite his struggles in the NCAA Tournament, Alex Condon comes in at pick 33 to the Charlotte Hornets.
Condon is going to be an interesting one to figure out this offseason. Even if he were to dip his toe into the NBA Draft process, he would still have the option to come back. As O'Connor notes in his write-up, Condon probably needs a bit more reliable of an outside game in order to make it in the NBA.
Notably, Thomas Haugh was not included in this particular mock draft, whereas some other mock drafts have viewed him as a potential mid-second-round pick.
The NBA Draft will be on June 25.