Walter Clayton Jr. made his NBA Summer League debut on Saturday. The offseason showcase for rookies, second-year players, and random G-League guys is usually a great way for players like Clayton to ease into their NBA career.
And while doing well in the Summer League doesn't always dictate a great season, Clayton looked like he will have no problem transitioning to the NBA.
Walter Clayton Jr. shines in Summer League debut
Clayton played for 25 minutes in Utah's 93-89 win over Philadelphia. He finished with nine points, going two-of-six from three. On both of his makes from deep, we saw the calm and collected Clayton that led Florida to a national title look in rhythm and look like he has a shot that is going to translate to the NBA.
But Clayton wasn't the leading scorer for Utah as Kyle Filipowski had 22 points and Brice Sensabaugh had 19 points. But just like in the national title game, the biggest plus side for Clayton is that he was willing to morph into a passer and didn't force shots up.
say it with us,,, pic.twitter.com/vQ01vY1iaR
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) July 6, 2025
Clayton finished with a team-high six assists, and he also had three rebounds.
His +/- wound up being zero, but compared to the -12 his fellow first-round pick Ace Bailey put up, Clayton did just fine.
Utah will continue its Summer League stretch on Monday against Memphis.
Will Richard's Summer League Debut Must Wait
The Golden State Warriors also took to the floor for their opener in the Summer League, but Will Richard was not on the court.
According to Florida Basketball Hour, Richard was technically part of the Kevin Durant trade, and because that trade won't be official until July 6, he couldn't officially suit up for Golden State on Saturday.
The 2nd round draft pick should be good to go, however, for the rest of the Summer League for the Warriors.