As Wednesday’s NBA Draft comes near Florida’s graduating seniors anxiously await where they will end up next in their basketball journey. Walter Clayton appears to be a lock to be picked in the first round, while Alijah Martin and Will Richard hope to find themselves in the second round–though it’s important to note for these players that sometimes being undrafted is better than being picked in the second. A second round selection doesn’t ensure players a high amount of guaranteed money and locks them in with the franchise that picked them–whereas if a player is undrafted they are able to sign a deal with whoever they like and can have the opportunity to weigh multiple options.
Beyond the NBA Combine and G League Elite Camp, individual workouts with teams are a major part of the pre-draft process that can show where a player may end up. Let’s take a look at a few of the places where Gators worked out and see what that could mean for who could select them.
Walter Clayton has seen his stock steadily rise throughout Florida’s Championship season and it now looks like he will be picked in the first round. Two teams that he has been tied to are the Miami Heat and the Utah Jazz which might tell you something about where he sits in the eyes of NBA teams–Miami has the 20th pick and Utah is right behind them at 21st. If you needed to place a bet, it would appear like he may not drop lower than these two picks. In recent years Miami has continued their culture of toughness and defense but could use some scoring pop, and it could also be a great spot for Clayton to improve his play on the defensive end and become a more complete player. NBA scouts have loved his offensive game and the ability to create shots but haven’t loved the defensive film, though that won’t stop him from getting picked high.
Two of the teams Alijah Martin has worked out for are the Sacramento Kings and the Utah Jazz. Sacramento has just one pick in the 2025 Draft at 42, though you never know what deals could be made to acquire more picks. It is possible that Martin could go as high as 42 so watch for a possible pick there–but the Kings could also hope to have the inside track if he were to go undrafted and go looking for free agent deals. The Jazz, on the other hand, are loaded with draft picks. They have the 5th, 21st, 43rd, and 53rd picks, so they have all kinds of chances to make moves and mix in a player like Martin. With all this pick capital and an interest in Martin, don’t look away when the Jazz are on the clock.
Will Richard is in an interesting spot from a draft standpoint as he already went through the process a year ago and worked out for a number of teams who have been able to see him work and go through interviews, and it’s likely that some teams that are interested in him didn’t even invite him for workouts in an attempt to keep him under the radar. Two teams that did show a lot of interest and bring him in for workouts are the Atlanta Hawks, and, you guessed it–the Utah Jazz. In the eyes of most draft analysts Richard is expected to go undrafted, though he could be one of the top players on the board to just miss if he doesn’t get selected. Currently Atlanta has just the 13th and 22nd overall picks, so they are likely looking at Richard as more of an undrafted free agent type or someone they could acquire a late pick for.
These three players had multiple other workouts and conversations so this is certainly not an exhaustive look at where they could go, but it gives some of the top contenders to look out for during Wednesday’s NBA Draft.