Clayton was born in Sebring, Florida, on March 6, 2003. He is the son of Cherie Ann Quarg, who played softball and basketball at Frostproof Middle-Senior High School[1] and Walter Clayton Sr., who played basketball and football at Frostproof.[2]
His family moved to Lake Wales, Florida, when he was 10.[3] Clayton Jr. initially attended Lake Wales High School, where he played football and basketball.[4] In basketball, he averaged 17.5 points, five rebounds, and 3.2 assists as a sophomore.[5] Clayton transferred to Bartow High School after his sophomore year.[6] He averaged 15.4 points, 4.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game during his first season at Bartow as the Yellow Jackets won the Florida Class 6A state championship.[7] Clayton committed to playing college basketball for Iona over offers from East Carolina, Florida A&M, Charleston, Stetson, and James Madison.[8]
Clayton was considered a better college prospect in football and began playing the sport as a freshman in high school at the urging of his childhood friend, Gervon Dexter.[9] He had offers to play football from Florida, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Nebraska, and West Virginia.[10]
Clayton ultimately transferred to the Florida Gators.[13] He also had considered transferring to St. John's and playing for his former Iona head coach, Rick Pitino.[14]
In his first season at Florida, Clayton averaged 17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists and was honored as Second-Team All-SEC.[15] He played an instrumental role in getting the Gators to the SEC Tournament Championship for the first time in 10 years and the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 3 years.[16] Despite the loss, Clayton had 33 points in a historic performance against Colorado in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.[17]
After the 2023–24 season, Clayton declared for the NBA Draft.[18] However, he ended up withdrawing from the draft and returning to Florida for his senior season.[19] It was during this season that Clayton had one of the best individual seasons in Florida basketball history. He led Florida to a 27–4 record in the regular season while averaging 17.2 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.8 rebounds. During this season, Clayton led Florida to wins over No. 1 Tennessee and at No. 1 Auburn, which was the first time Florida had ever beaten a No. 1 on the road.[20][21] He also helped lead Florida to its best overall record and SEC record in 11 years. After the regular season, Clayton was honored as first-team All-SEC selection.[22] On March 18, 2025, Clayton was named a first-team All American.[23]
Clayton went on to lead the Gators to the national championship, making a crucial defensive closeout, causing Houston's Emanuel Sharp to pump-fake on a potential game-winning three-pointer and lose his dribble.[24] Clayton's teammate Alex Condon pounced on the loose ball to seal the Gators' third national championship in program history and first since 2007.[25][26] Clayton was named the Most Outstanding Player (MOP).[27] After the season, Clayton was named the SEC Male Athlete of the Year, making him the first Florida basketball player to receive this honor.
Professional career
On June 25, 2025, Clayton was selected with the 18th overall pick by the Washington Wizards in the first round of the 2025 NBA draft and subsequently traded to the Utah Jazz for the draft rights to Jamir Watkins and Will Riley.[28] On July 2, 2025, Clayton signed with the Jazz with Ace Bailey.[29] He made 45 appearances for Utah during the 2025–26 NBA season, averaging 6.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists.
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