Walter Clayton Jr. Embraces Fresh Start With Dallas Mavericks After ‘Learning Year’ in NBA

MIAMI — Walter Clayton Jr. signed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 21, the same day Dallas opened its season at the Houston Rockets. Five days later, at the Mavericks’ shootaround in Miami on Monday morning, Clayton called the move “a seamless transition.”

Clayton has appeared in two of Dallas’ first three games. Against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, he finished with 3 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal without a turnover in 14:31 off the bench, and 3 of the assists came in the fourth quarter. His pass to Daniel Gafford for a cutting layup opened that quarter and pulled Dallas within 92-91 before the Spurs ran away with a 122-106 win.

Saturday’s minutes came one night after Clayton played the closing stretch of Friday’s win at Indiana. Before the Spurs game, Mavericks coach Dusty May said Clayton had a couple of good possessions in Indianapolis and would definitely play. Everybody in the organization has been welcoming since Clayton arrived, and getting on the floor with his new teammates has been great.

“With the help that I’m getting from all these guys, players, coaches, staff, from everybody, it’s been a seamless transition,” Clayton said. “So it ain’t been too hard. It’s been actually pretty smooth.”

Dallas (1-2) visits the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on Monday night. Cooper Flagg sprained his left shoulder in Friday’s win and missed Saturday’s game, and Kyrie Irving sat out the second night of the back-to-back. On Saturday, San Antonio grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and scored 26 points off 21 Dallas turnovers. Out-hustling Miami is one of Clayton’s keys for Monday.

“Just do what we do,” Clayton explained. “Play physical brand of basketball, out-hustle them, and just be on the scout, not let them get to their tendencies.”

Rookie Sergio de Larrea led Dallas with 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists against San Antonio, shooting 9-of-15 from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point range in 33:02. Five of his 9 field goals were floaters. Clayton said the guards had talked through Gortat screens before the game.

“I think it’s great whenever you have multiple guards on the floor,” Clayton said. “It makes you a little bit more dynamic. Sergio played great. Obviously we talked about those Gortat screens before the game, and he executed on that game plan to hit those floaters.”

Walter Clayton Jr. Calls Rookie Season With Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies ‘A Learning Year’

The Washington Wizards took Clayton 18th overall on June 25, 2025, and traded his rights to the Utah Jazz. In 45 games for the Jazz, all off the bench, he averaged 6.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 18.0 minutes.

On Feb. 3, Utah sent Clayton to the Memphis Grizzlies in the eight-player trade that brought Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah. He made six starts in 24 games with Memphis and averaged 9.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 25.0 minutes. On April 5, he matched his career high with 20 points in a 131-115 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Over 69 games as a rookie, Clayton averaged 7.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 20.4 minutes. He shot 38.4% from the field, 30.7% from three-point range, and 90.1% from the free-throw line. Memphis waived him on Oct. 19, the league’s deadline to set regular-season rosters, and the roughly $4.2M he is owed this season on his rookie-scale deal stays on the Grizzlies’ books. Clayton believes people go through everything for a reason, and that includes last season.

“I think last year was an up and down year,” Clayton said. “I’m going to take it as a learning year. I think we go through everything for a reason. I’m thankful for last year, and I’m glad to be here in Dallas.”

Dallas opened its third two-way spot on Oct. 17 by waiving John Poulakidas. Three days later, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported that the Mavericks had emerged as a leading contender for Clayton and that the Sacramento Kings had tried to trade for him. In a second post, Stein reported that May recruited Clayton in college.

Two-way players can be active for up to 50 regular-season games and are ineligible for the postseason unless they are promoted to a standard contract. Dallas’ two-way players also suit up for the Texas Legends, the Mavericks’ G League affiliate.

This is the first season in Dallas for May and president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri. Clayton said the new direction was part of what drew him.

“A few people here I’m familiar with,” Clayton said. “Obviously a new thing going on. And just a great roster. Some young guys, some older guys mixed in. So I think it’s a great blend, and I think we can get something special going here.”

At Florida, Clayton spent a year as roommates with Jack May, Dusty May’s eldest son. Jack May was a walk-on guard for the Gators from 2020-24. This summer, Dusty May said Jack had signed to work with the Mavericks’ video staff, Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News reported.

“He was good, man,” Clayton said of Jack May as a roommate. “He was good.”

Learning his new teammates has meant film, practice, and conversations for Clayton. He knew some of them from last season and watched others before they got to Dallas.

“Just be a good lead guard,” Clayton said. “Make sure the team is organized whenever I’m on the floor. Hit shots. And I think that’s it, just make sure everybody’s involved.”

Clayton Hears From Cooper Flagg About 2025 National Championship

Clayton averaged 18.3 points as a senior at Florida in 2024-25 and was a consensus first-team All-American. The Gators beat Houston 65-63 on April 7, 2025, at the Alamodome in San Antonio for the program’s third national title, and Clayton was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.

Houston reached that game by beating Flagg and Duke 70-67 in the national semifinals. The Cougars trailed by 14 points in the second half and closed the game on a 9-0 run. Dallas took Flagg first overall in June, and he was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year last season. The Duke-Houston semifinal was a great game, in Clayton’s view, and the title came up between him and Flagg on Sunday.

“A little bit yesterday,” Clayton said. “He said something about it should have been them in the title game getting a shot at it. But it was a great game between them and Houston. We’re here. We’re here now.”

Marcus Sasser played four seasons at Houston and left for the NBA in 2023, two years before the Cougars reached the title game. He assisted on 4 of de Larrea’s 9 field goals Saturday and finished with 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists. Clayton said the only Houston basketball the two have talked about lately is an exhibition the Cougars played Sunday.

“Nah, I ain’t been getting on him either,” Clayton said. “We don’t even talk about it. We just talked about that little exhibition Houston had yesterday, but other than that, we ain’t talking about it.”

Clayton was born in Sebring, Florida, and grew up in Lake Wales. He won a Class 6A state title at Bartow High School and played two seasons at Iona under Rick Pitino before transferring to Florida in 2023. Rain in Florida lasts 10 to 15 minutes at a time, by Clayton’s count.

“I’m from Florida, so it always feels good to be back,” Clayton said. “Get a little sunshine, get a little rain too, so it feels good to be back.”

Tip-off at Kaseya Center is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on NBA TV. Dallas returns home Wednesday to host the Oklahoma City Thunder at 8:30 p.m. CT.