Walter Clayton Jr. Turns Heads With Latest NBA Summer League Explosion originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

After a tremendous run in the NCAA Tournament that saw him lead the Florida Gators to the program’s third title in school history, Walter Clayton Jr. is now trying to prove the doubters wrong at the NBA level.

After being an overlooked recruit and proving himself at the college level, Clayton fell to No. 18 in this year’s NBA Draft, where the Utah Jazz selected him.

While playing in the NBA’s Salt Lake City Summer League, Clayton has certainly had his moments. He debuted against the Philadelphia 76ers, and had himself a nice outing, dropping nine points and six assists.

However, in the team’s second game against the Memphis Grizzlies, he was benched early for being too “nonchalant.” With a chance for redemption on Tuesday, Clayton may have had his best outing yet.

Getting the start with Ace Bailey out of the lineup, Clayton poured in 20 points on 5-of-14 shooting, and hit four threes.

HUGE three from Walter Clayton Jr. to retake the lead for Utah 😱 pic.twitter.com/rApLWB679l

— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 9, 2025

As expected, fans around the NBA were loving what they were seeing from the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

“Ice in his veins Utah clutch moment,” wrote one fan.

“Walter Clayton is easily the best player on this Jazz summer league team,” commented another.

“Star,” said a third.

“Steal of the draft. Hes so incredibly good. Idc if its summer league,” professed another.

While Clayton may not have been drafted to be the Jazz’s franchise point guard, he is certainly fighting for the right to earn that spot.

If he is able to shoot consistently, distribute the ball effectively and improve on defense, the sky is the limit.

Related: Joel Klatt Names Second-Year Quarterback Who Looks Like a ‘Potential Star’

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.