When we last checked in on former Gator Walter Clayton Jr., he had been waived by the Memphis Grizzlies and ended up being picked up by the Dallas Mavericks. It felt like a good landing spot for him to get to play alongside Cooper Flagg under the tutelage of Dusty May. If there is anyone who would understand Clayton’s game, these two are a good start.
Now that Clayton is getting up to speed in Dallas, he had a massive night on Monday to help remind everyone he still has a shot at a bright future in the NBA.
Former Gator Walter Clayton Jr. has a massive night for Dallas
Clayton came off the bench on Monday against Miami and scored 15 points on 6-for-7 shooting, including 2-for-2 from three. He also had four rebounds, four assists, and a block in 17 minutes of action. It tied for the fourth-most points he has scored in an NBA game. Clayton helped lead Dallas to a comeback 113-109 win over the Miami Heat.
Mavs Walter Clayton Jr. 15 PTS (6-7 FG, 2-2 3P), 4 AST, 4 REB, 1 BLK, team-high +22 in 17 minutes vs. Heat
— Role Player Performances (@BenchHighlights) October 27, 2026
Any team in the NBA could have signed him pic.twitter.com/Um2LXSLrDT
It was also catharsis for Clayton, who has been bounced around quite a bit in his young NBA career. As chronicled before, Clayton was drafted No. 18 overall by Utah in 2025 off the heels of his historic run to a national title with the Gators. The irony of Monday night’s breakout performance is that Miami was one of the teams that were heavily linked to Clayton on draft night, but Utah leapfrogged the Heat on draft night to go get Clayton.
Clayton didn’t play terribly as a rookie with Utah, but he struggled to find a consistent role, and his three-point shooting was a tick behind what the Jazz had hoped for. Once the bottom fell out of Utah’s season, Clayton was traded to Memphis. He had consistent minutes with Memphis and seemed to finish the year on a high note, but once camp rolled around, the Grizzlies had other ideas and waived him right before the season began.
The version of Clayton we saw on Monday was in line with the version that helped lead Florida to a national title. He was composed and on multiple occasions was able to showcase some of his playmaking ability and not just settle for a three point attempt.
The fact that Clayton was given an extended run in the 4th quarter last night and was still in the game with under five minutes to play before he was subbed out is an encouraging sign, and hopefully he settles in with the Mavericks and morphs into the NBA player all Gator fans once got to witness.
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