Utah Jazz Trade Up To Select Walter Clayton Jr. With No. 18 Pick
Jun 25, 2025, 8:27 PM | Updated: 9:08 pm
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 25: Walter Clayton Jr. (R) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver (L) after being drafted eighteenth overall by the Washington Wizards during the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 25, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz made a trade with the Washington Wizards to move up three spots and select Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. with the 18th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania first reported the move during the first round of the draft.
RELATED: Jazz Select Ace Bailey With Fifth Pick In 2025 NBA Draft
Utah sent No. 21 and second-round picks to Washington for Walter Clayton Jr., sources said. https://t.co/jVvcyD2ahO
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 26, 2025
Charania suggests Utah is sending the 21st pick and second-round picks to Washington as part of the deal.
The Jazz selected Rutgers star forward Ace Bailey earlier in the draft with the No. 5 overall pick.
Jazz Select Walter Clayton Jr. Pick In NBA Draft
18.3 points, 4.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds – .448/.386/.875
If the Jazz are willing to add yet another first-year player to the roster, but don’t necessarily want to get younger, Walter Clayton Jr. might be the ideal candidate.
According to reports, the Utah Jazz are trading No. 21 and two second-round picks to the Wizards for Walter Clayton Jr., the 18th pick. pic.twitter.com/7H3JT0r7fP
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 26, 2025
A four-year senior, Clayton Jr. is a floor general in the truest sense of the label, helping guide the Florida Gators to the national championship this past season.
Clayton Jr. is a marksman from the three-point line, an active defender, and an overall steady leader who would bring a winning pedigree to the Jazz’s backcourt.
Per @ShamsCharania, the Wizards and Jazz completed a trade, sending 18th overall pick Walter Clayton Jr. to Utah!#TakeNote
(courtesy: @espn) pic.twitter.com/MWRLcx4Tr4
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 26, 2025
Small, older guards tend to go undervalued in the draft, and Clayton Jr. could prove to be a steal with the 18th pick.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
