The Utah Jazz capitalized when one of the most talented prospects in the draft fell to the fifth pick earlier in the night.
But to add to their first-round haul, the Jazz made their own luck, too.
Utah traded up from No. 21 to No. 18 to get Walter Clayton Jr. from Florida. He will play alongside former Rutgers guard Ace Bailey next season.
Clayton led the Gators to a national championship while starring in the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 18 points per game and shot over 38% from three. He had multiple 30-point games in March, including scoring 34 points in the Final Four against Auburn.
Clayton didn’t visit Utah in the pre-draft process but wasn’t surprised he landed with the Jazz.
“I knew it was a possibility,” Clayton said. “We had some conversations after I got drafted tonight. They like my skill set. They think I can bring something great for the team.”
The Jazz traded the 21st pick and multiple second-round picks to move up, including Utah’s 43rd pick this year, according to NBA insider Zach Lowe.
Clayton, a 6-foot-2 guard, knows he can improve his decision making.
“Turnovers for sure,” Clayton said of what he can improve on. He averaged more than two per game each of the last two years.
But Clayton was a dynamic scorer in college, both as a shooter and a finisher around the rim.
