Walter Clayton Jr. NBA Draft: Top 5 landing spots for Florida guard ft. Orlando Magic

Walter Clayton Jr. is suddenly an NBA Draft prospect. At 6-foot-3, the former Iona Gales player wasn't really a top prospect. Even in the transfer portal, he was underrated, as 247Sports ranked him as the No. 69 player nationally in his 2023 portal class. But with a dominant NCAA Tournament, Clayton is suddenly rising up in the NBA Mock Drafts.

Clayton has now scored 2,106 points in his career, which has seen him spend two seasons at Iona and two at Florida. He has drained a total of 311 career 3-point shots and is a 38.8% career 3-point shooter. He's also a career 87.8% free throw shooter.

To put things simply, his ability as a shooter has made Clayton an NBA Draft prospect. Here are five potential NBA landing spots for the Florida guard. Draft projections have been taken from Tankathon.com

Five possible NBA Draft landing spots for Walter Clayton Jr.

Coach Jahmal Mosley of the Orlando Magic might look to add Walter Clayton Jr. to his squad. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

5. Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets are one of the worst teams in the NBA and one of the worst perimeter-shooting teams. Their 34.1% 3-point shooting percentage is the third worst in the NBA. Of course, that's Clayton's calling card. Charlotte certainly won't be looking at Clayton at pick three, but they could well take a shot at him if he's still around when they are projected to have a pair of second-round picks at No. 33 and No. 34.

4. Brooklyn Nets

The Nets are another of the weaker 3-point shooting teams in the NBA at 34.3%. Brooklyn is building up a young roster and could part ways with overpriced veterans like Cameron Johnson and DeAngelo Russell to go after Clayton. An optimist could see Clayton as high as Brooklyn's projected No. 18 pick, but their other first-round picks at No. 26 or No. 27 seem like more likely options.

3. Washington Wizards

The second-worst 3-point shooting team in the NBA at 33.6%, the Wizards seem to be an eternal near-disaster team. Their top pick is unlikely to be Clayton, but they are projected to have another first-round pick at No. 20. Drafting the guard at 20 would have once seemed unthinkable, but his NCAA Tournament performance renders it entirely plausible.

2. Golden State Warriors

One team that certainly understands the relevance of 3-point shooting is the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry is certainly on the back end of a great career, and while one player won't replace him, the Warriors will likely focus on drafting a bevy of shooters. The only question is whether Clayton will be on the board around No. 40, where the Warriors are currently slotted.

1. Orlando Magic

The hottest rumored destination for Clayton is the Orlando Magic. It certainly makes sense. He's the local star, and Orlando is dead last in the NBA in 3-point shooting (31.4%). The Magic could certainly benefit from drafting Clayton on several levels. They're currently projected to draft at No. 23, which is within the realm of many recent draft projections for the Florida guard.

What do you think of Walter Clayton's NBA situation? Share your take below in our comments section!