Latest news with #WalterClayton
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ace Bailey, No. 5 overall pick in 2025 NBA draft, set to report to Jazz on Saturday, team says
Utah Jazz rookie Ace Bailey is expected to report to the team on Saturday after an unusual draft process, in which Bailey declined to workout with individual teams ahead of the draft. A Jazz representative told ESPN's Jonathan Givony on Friday afternoon that Bailey will join his new team over the weekend with a Sunday press conference. "We've had good communication with Ace Bailey and his representatives. We feel good about everything. Ace and his family are coming to Utah tomorrow. We'll have a press conference Sunday, and a practice Monday." "This has always been the plan, including for our other rookies, Walter Clayton and John Tonje — to let them go home and collect their belongings, and then fly right to summer league from Salt Lake City." Advertisement Prior to the draft, it was reported that Bailey wanted to land with one of three teams. The Jazz were not one of the team's on Bailey's reported list. Despite that, the team took him with the No. 5 overall pick. After the draft, it was reported that one of Bailey's reps told a team in the top five that it should not select Bailey in the draft. It's unclear which team was told to stay away from the Rutgers guard. Bailey was asked about the situation after the Jazz selected him with the No. 5 overall pick on Wednesday. He didn't seem openly angry about it, instead giving a neutral answer and saying, "I can control what I control. How they feel [is] how they feel." The situation has only gotten murkier from there. Following Day 2 of the 2025 NBA Draft, Bailey's manager, Omar Cooper, declined to comment when asked about the former Rutgers' star's future in Utah. On Friday morning, however, Andrew Witlieb, the president of GSE Worldwide, which represents Bailey, appeared on a Front Office Sports podcast and said Bailey was excited about going to Utah. Advertisement "He's thrilled to be going to Utah," Witlieb said. "Obviously, it's an honor to be selected in the top five of the NBA Draft. We think he can do a lot of great things out there." The fact that Bailey had yet to report to the Jazz as of Friday morning isn't necessarily a big deal. Dallas Mavericks No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg waited until Friday to join his new team. The Jazz's other pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Walter Clayton Jr., has reportedly already joined the team. What happens if Bailey doesn't end up reporting to Utah? It's his option, though it would come with some ramifications. Advertisement If Bailey opts not to report to Utah, he is ineligible to play in the NBA this season. He also cannot return to play college basketball. He could play overseas, but doing so would mean Utah would retain his draft rights. If he doesn't report to Utah and doesn't play professionally elsewhere, he could re-enter the 2026 NBA Draft, where he still wouldn't have control of where he goes and runs the risk of being selected lower in the draft order. Who is Omar Cooper? Until Friday, Bailey's relationship with Cooper and GSE Worldwide was also unclear. Some outlets referred to Cooper as Bailey's agent despite reports Cooper is not a certified agent. Witlieb shed some light on that situation during his podcast appearance, referring to Cooper as Bailey's manager. Advertisement Witlieb said Cooper was focused on finding the best fit for Bailey, and was not necessarily concerned about how high Bailey was picked in the 2025 NBA Draft. "This was led by Bailey's long-time manager, Omar Cooper, who we are partnering on with this. And Omar really focused more on fit rather than going third in the draft kind of thing. He wanted some place where Ace could have the best possible basketball fit for his game. And we think Utah is one of the best places he could have gone." Cooper is listed as the "C.E.O and Founder of LifeStyle Sports Agency" on his Instagram page. A link to the agency's website leads to essentially a "coming soon" page. Despite GSE Worldwide officially representing Bailey, Cooper appears to have served as the main point person for a lot of comments and interviews regarding Bailey leading up to the 2025 NBA Draft. If Bailey truly doesn't want to play for the Jazz, he doesn't have many choices. The team reportedly has no interest in trading Bailey, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
Fox Sports
5 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Brooklyn Nets 2025 NBA Draft picks and mock selections entering draft week
The 2025 NBA Draft week is here! Check out the complete list of NBA Draft picks for the Brooklyn Nets as well as who they might select below: How many picks do the Brooklyn Nets have in the 2025 NBA Draft? The Brooklyn Nets have five draft picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. Check out each pick in each round below. 2025 Brooklyn Nets Draft Picks Round 1, Pick 8 Round 1, Pick 19 (acquired from MIL) Round 1, Pick 26 (acquired from NY) Round 1, Pick 27 (acquired from HOU) Round 2, Pick 36 Who will the Brooklyn Nets select in the NBA Draft? In our latest 2025 NBA Mock Draft by John Fanta, the Brooklyn Nets select Egor Demin, Walter Clayton and Hugo Gonzalez in the first round. Here's what Fanta had to say about Demin and the Nets: Egor Demin (G, BYU) "The Nets hold four of the top 27 picks in this draft. They'll aim to start the night with a lead playmaker on the perimeter, unless they feel really strongly about Frenchman Noa Essengue or Duke's Khaman Maluach. Look for them to take Demin here, a 6-9 guard who uses his size and skill to be one of the best creators and passers in this draft class. Denim's shooting is of concern, but there's reason to believe that it can be developed, and the ball is on a string for him in pick-and-roll situations." Jason McIntyre's latest mock has Brooklyn selecting Khaman Maluach , Walter Clayton, Danny Wolf and Liam McNeeley. Here's McIntyre: Khaman Maluach (C, Duke) "Do you try to play a double-big lineup with Nic Claxton, or do you move him and usher in the 7-foot-2 rim protector from Duke? Brooklyn's got some of the worst defensive guards in the league." Walter Clayton (PG, Florida) "The Nets have three guards who are free agents this offseason and while they may grab one in free agency, I expect them to use a first-round pick on a guard." Danny Wolf (PF/C Michigan) "Because of his diverse skill set, he could go anywhere from late lottery to the end of the first round. Not a lot of 7-footers move as fluidly as he does and rebound with his tenacity. The 59% on FTs was troubling." Liam McNeeley (G/F, UConn) "I took heat for not including him in the lottery in any of my mock drafts. And now, as we get closer to the draft, you hear more and more about his range being somewhere between No. 20 and No. 32. On a bad team, can he be like Corey Kispert, a guy who comes off the bench for 10 points a night?" For more, check out the complete mock draft . recommended Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
USA Today
03-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Where will Florida's star guard Walter Clayton Jr. be selected in 2025 NBA draft?
Where will Florida's star guard Walter Clayton Jr. be selected in 2025 NBA draft? The 2025 NBA draft is merely weeks away, and now that the deadline for those who want to return to college has passed, the outlook for this summer's selection process is ostensibly crystal clear. For the Gator Nation, it has been a tense few weeks leading up to that deadline as star sophomore forward Alex Condon, along with center Rueben Chinyelu, explored their options in the upcoming draft. Fortunately for Florida, they both decided to return to Gainesville, teaming up to give the Gators a run at a possible two-peat. However, one former member of the Orange and Blue is locked into the NBA draft after a prolific senior campaign that carried Todd Golden's team to the promised land. That player is point guard Walter Clayton Jr., who is projected nearly unanimously to be taken in the first round later this month. Where will Walter Clayton be picked? Sports Illustrated's Kevin Sweeney recently updated his 2025 NBA mock draft following the NCAA deadline, projecting Clayton to be selected by the Phoenix Suns with the penultimate pick of the first round at No. 29. "Plug-and-play rotation pieces on controllable contracts are like gold to the Suns, so getting Clayton at No. 29 would be huge. The Final Four's Most Outstanding Player is among this draft's best shotmakers." Walter Clayton's senior year stats The graduating senior out of Bartow, Florida, averaged 18.3 points, 4.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game during the 2024-25 campaign. He earned First-Team All-SEC and All-American honors while being anointed Most Outstanding Player in the 2025 Final Four for his title-winning heroics. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
31-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Should the Boston Celtics consider drafting Florida guard Walter Clayton?
Should the Boston Celtics consider drafting Florida guard Walter Clayton? Should the Boston Celtics consider drafting Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. if he falls to them in the 2025 NBA draft? The champion Gator 3-point marksman has been compared to players as good as Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, and prospects as rough as former Boston guard alum Carsen Edwards. His shooting from beyond the arc is undeniably intriguing for a team coached by the likes of Joe Mazzulla, but he has some notable warts to his game as well, especially on the defensive end of the court. Would it make sense for the Celtics to burn their No. 28 or 32 picks in the first or second round respectively on the Sebring, Florida native? The hosts of the CLNS Media "How Bout Them Celtics!" podcast, Jack Simone and Sam LaFrance, took some time on a recent episode of their show to talk it over. Check it out below! If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network:
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Florida Makes Major Todd Golden Decision After National Championship
The Florida Gators stand atop the college basketball pedestal, winning the national championship under the leadership of head coach Todd Golden. In his third season with the program, Golden led Florida to a national title victory over Kelvin Sampson and the Houston Cougars. Advertisement Before defeating Houston, the Gators also took down several contending teams in the NCAA Tournament, such as Auburn, Texas Tech, Maryland, UConn and Norfolk State. After leading the Gators to a national championship, Golden was awarded. According to Jeff Goodman, Golden has signed a new six-year contract, that runs through the 2031 season, making him one of the highest-paid head coaches in the country. While the amount was not discussed, Golden is now in the upper echelon of coaching rankings with established figures such as John Calipari and Rick Pitino, two of the highest-paid head coaches in the country. Golden also led the Florida Gators to an SEC Tournament title last season, capping off the year with a 36-4 record. Despite being early in his college basketball coaching career, at 39, Golden has already done what so many are eager to accomplish. Advertisement The national championship victory was Florida's first title win since 2007 and third in program history (2006, 2007 and 2025). Florida Gators head coach Todd GoldenBob Donnan-Imagn Images Last season, Golden and company were led by Naismith Player of the Year finalist, Walter Clayton Jr. The talented guard, who's headed to the 2025 NBA Draft, finished the season posting 18.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Golden created a powerhouse in the SEC. Related: Bill Self Sends Strong Message After Kansas Coach's Retirement Decision
