The Phoenix Suns have suffered through a disappointing 2024-25 season, as the club is sporting a current 35-40 record while maintaining possession of the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference.
Phoenix’s campaign was made even more brutal after their 2-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant suffered an ankle injury on Sunday night against the Houston Rockets, reportedly sidelining the future Hall of Fame inductee for at least one week.
All eyes have moved to the offseason for the Suns, as it’s been made clear in recent weeks that Durant’s eventual departure via trade could be looming.
On the bright side, recent updates have indicated that Phoenix could supply their 4-time All-Star and 2-time All-NBA Team selection Devin Booker with another skilled scoring presence this summer, when they could select the University of Florida’s senior guard and March Madness superstar Walter Clayton Jr. with the No. 29 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
“Walter Clayton buried three threes in the final six minutes of Florida’s comeback win over Texas Tech, and his late-game takeovers have become a theme of the NCAA tournament,” Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman wrote Monday.
“His fearlessness and confident shotmaking are going to convince certain NBA teams to look past the questionable size and playmaking.”
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Clayton Jr. displayed his most recent showing of clutch shot-making in a miraculous 84-79 Elite 8 comeback victory against Texas Tech, when he scored 22 of his 30 total points in the second half to help Florida advance to the Final 4.
As a 6-foot-3 offensive dynamo, Clayton Jr.’s draft stock rose dramatically following his sensational performance against the Red Raiders, and it may be enough for him to assume a role on a re-tooling Suns team next to Booker and 3-time All-Star Bradley Beal in 2025-26.
In 37 appearances for Florida this season, the senior guard is averaging 18.1 points, 4.2 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals and doing plenty to make sure his name gets called by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver this summer on draft night.
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