Will Clayton be drafted in round 1?

Um...




NOBODY beats the Wiz. Honest!

 

Methinks he thought whether he might slide down from the Heat or not. So, surprised in a good way. Well, good for Walt, lousy for a local fan such as AKA.

 

Utah stole Clayton at #18 knowing that the Heat would have taken him at #20

 

Sexton, Clarkson and Collier look like the 3 top guards. Might be tough to break into the lineup rookie year. Will be rooting for him.

 

So proud and happy for Walt, but the franchise's better wake up, there are two studs named Richard and Martin that will make someone very happy!

 

Yeah, Golden commented on that a couple of weeks ago. He said that these bigtime freshman will hit a new learning curve in the NBA, so if you need help NOW (and most teams do), why not pick a highly productive senior with tons of experience that you can plug into games immediately and get production. Makes good sense.

 

Why is it crap? He'll make more money in one year than I made in my entire career. Weep not for the uber-rich.

 

Teams can offer 20% up or down to player
18th pick payout on Rookie contract
1st year $3,991,320
2nd year $4,190,520
3rd year $4,390,320
4th year $6,752,312
Total contract
$19,324,472

 

Johni Broome did not make the first round, SEC Player of the year.
Considering he can't jump as high as Desmond Watson per his NBA workouts this does not surprise me.

Kid was a great player in college when he could just push everyone out of the lane but that will not be true in the NBA.
I have to wonder if he will be able to have a serviceable and long lasting NBA career.

Not to pile on, but from my own observations I question his mental and physical toughness.
The "G" league will be a stiff challenge for him IMO.

 

i just re-watched our Auburn game in the Final 4.
While Broome is a good player, he clearly fell apart at the end while our own Walter Clayton soared.

I am biased but I would think even a non-Gator would have put Clayton as head-and shoulders ahead of Broome as a player.
Well- I guess the NBA just did!

 

Glad he does not stay on the moribund Washington Wizards, but disappointed that he's not going to get much TV time.

 

Walt had me start tearing up when I saw his reaction with the phone to his ear when his name was announced. So happy for the kid - he earned this

 

And now I end this with my most disdain for the NBA: the off-season trading and signing of the middling players who can play but are not truly keys to winning championships. The money these folks make is outrageous, and no, I am not being envious. Sure I would like some of that, just like I would like some of what a bunch of "notable" but rather incompetent head coaches in the major college ranks get to acquire. But still, it is a sign that the whole thing is a bunch of bunk. And, while I am more pissed at the reality of the NIL on college sports, it is still on all of us in that WE watch these sports/teams/players and feed our monies to them, either directly via NIL or purchasing tickets or gear or the products that are being marketed via commercials and product placement - isn't Aflac wonderful? - and so, if we don't truly vote with our wallets to change it all, it just continues.

Anyway, thanks again for the setup for my philosophical rant. I don't think I would have taken the time if Walter wasn't in the draft. And to my mental outlook (if you or others don't peruse my posts), I have about this year (2025/2026) to see something akin to sanity, at least at UF and sports/ academia, regardless of the inaneness of other universities and sports, before I check out completely. I do hope Napier is what we need to weather the storm of this absolute insanity, and that Golden pulls out another FF appearance (winning it all obviously would be nicer) and sets us up for a true blueprint for success at the major college level and not just a processor of talent to the elite professional ranks - since the college players are now pros.

But we shall see. And as a parting bit of advice...again, remember to stock up on your medication of choice for the upcoming season(s). You will thank me when reality comes to fruition.

Good stuff te. But you have to quit picking on the Aflac duck, that creature has far more integrity than the company he represents.
I like your philosophical rants. I have not paid attention to the NBA draft for years, until now. Happy for Walter and I hope things work out for Richard and Martin, whether in the NBA or overseas.

While the greed mongers have all but destroyed amateur college athletics, I will guiltily admit that despite the greed and corruption, I will meekly still follow the Gators. Kicking and screaming of course. I'm getting a bit long in the tooth to replace my passion for Gator Sports by chasing women, fishing and Iron Man competition.

Napier "weathering the storm"? I don't know, I think he may be to much of a human being with morals and standards for the dirtiness of the business. Of course I do not know him personally and could be completely wrong. His public persona does impress me however.

I will admit that Gator Sports (College Athletics in General) always served as a bit of an escape hatch, for me, from the realities of this American life.
While I will continue to enjoy watching kids compete, I do so with the understanding that collegiate sports have been absorbed by the flesh eating amoebas that consider "fans" as disposable garbage.

 

Thanks paid, have a great day.
I suggest the "block" option.

 

Crap because I wanted him in Orlando.

 

Happy for Walter. Haven’t watched an NBA game in many many years. Maybe since Karl Malone played for the Jazz. Maybe when Duncan played for the Spurs. Hoping to get one or two good years in before Golden goes to the NBA and the college game finishes becoming NBA lite.

 

Walter Clayton Jr. becomes the 13th first-round pick in UF history

 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida star point guard Walter Clayton Jr. produced the most highly-decorated season in school history to lead the Gators to a 2025 national title. His record-setting play earned him a first-round selection in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday.

Clayton was picked No. 18 overall by the Washington Wizards. Washington traded the pick to the Utah Jazz, per reports. Utah sent No. 21 and second-round picks to Washington for Clayton, according to Shams Charania of ESPN

"Clayton averaged a Florida-record 23.9 points in his seven NCAA Tournament games as a Gator after transferring from Iona. His 167 NCAA Tournament points rank third all-time in UF history with just seven games played. Every other Gator in the top 10 played at least 13 tournament games."

WOW!! Only one of Walter's NCAA tournament games was not THIS year!