With the 20th overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Miami Heat should bet on a local talent and select Walter Clayton Jr. of the Florida Gators. It's a pick that could be divisive, as Clayton will turn 23 during his rookie season and may not quite be the 6'3" he's listed at.
Miami is in a unique position to make a splash via the 2025 NBA Draft, however, and the prospect worth gambling on is in their backyard.
The 2025 NBA Draft lottery was held on Monday, May 12 and gave Miami hope that selecting Clayton will be possible. The draft order ahead of the Heat lends itself to teams leaning more toward wings, bigs, and guards with size, thus implying that an undersized scoring guard could be on the board at No. 20.
That opens the door for Clayton, whose size is a major question mark coming out of college, to fall to Erik Spoelstra and company.
It's fair to question if the No. 20 overall selection is the right pick to swing for the fences on. After all, Clayton does appear to be more of an offensive dynamo facing questions about how his game will translate to the NBA than he does a legitimate two-way contributor.
For as fair as those concerns may be, the Heat have loaded up on quality players—and now they need to take a chance on an offensive talent who can change their outlook.
Walter Clayton Jr. represents chance for Heat to make a splash at No. 20
Miami has built a roster that's flush with players who make the right plays at the right time. It's a testament to Spoelstra for fostering a culture within which his players can thrive by sticking to the basics and trusting the system.
Every great team has players who can operate outside of the structure it designs for itself, however, and Clayton has the tools to do exactly that.
Clayton produced a 2024-25 season for the ages, leading Florida to the National Championship with his sharpshooting and clutch scoring. The range on his jump shot was limitless, his understated athleticism made him a dynamic threat at the rim, and his fearlessness in big moments defined his team's character.
Furthermore, Clayton is the rare scoring threat who plays as though the defense isn't there—he simply knows what he wants to do, and he finds a way.
Clayton turned that raw ability into averages of 18.3 points, 4.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 3.0 three-point field goals made per game on .448/.386/.875 shooting. Those numbers accurately reflect his explosive scoring ability, proficiency as a passer, and elite three-point potential.
For Miami, that combination of abilities could prove invaluable when one considers how difficult generating offense in tough spots proved to be.
The Heat finished the 2024-25 regular season ranked No. 21 in offensive rating. One of the primary reasons for that ranking was the limited list of shot creators and playmakers who could be trusted to consistently generate offense against set defenses.
Other prospects may have more upside or a more prototypical build, but it's Clayton who could help Miami begin to evolve from a well-rounded team to a unit that can situationally play outside of its system.