NBA teams have made 19 trades involving picks from the 2025 draft since June 17, but the best might be the move the Utah Jazz made to grab Florida point guard Walter Clayton Jr. with the No. 18 pick.
That’s the opinion of NBA draft analyst and writer Jeremy Woo, who broke down the draft alongside fellow ESPN analyst Jonathan Givony on Saturday.
“I admittedly was not a huge Clayton proponent during the season, but the more I evaluated him, the more I started to buy his shotmaking talent as an intriguing bet in a draft class that was pretty light on point guards,” Woo said. “The Jazz didn’t have to pay much to do it, and while he might have to fight for minutes, there’s a reasonable chance Clayton becomes a valuable contributor.”
Woo also included Clayton on his NBA All-Rookie first team projection, albeit with the condition of picking different players from Givony. Pro Basketball Prospectus co-author Kevin Pelton gave the Jazz a B-plus grade for their draft, noting Clayton’s NCAA championship background and 3-point shooting.
Utah has Isaiah Collier and Keyontae George to run the point with Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson at the other guard position. Breaking in at the 1 is possible, but he’ll have to beat out Elijah Harkless for a depth spot in the rotation, barring any trades.
Fellow first-round pick Ace Bailey figures to play the 2 or 3 as a wing, and Clayton could see increased minutes with him on the court as the duo was drafted with the idea of spacing the floor with different types of perimeter threats. If Bailey and Clayton end up as regular contributors within the next two years, Woo’s evaluation of the trade market will be proven correct.
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