The Miami Heat have a roster opening, and Walter Clayton Jr. is suddenly available.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Monday afternoon that the Memphis Grizzlies are waiving the guard ahead of the roster cut deadline. That comes after NBA insider Jake Fischer said last week that Miami rates Clayton Jr. highly and could pursue him. If that interest is real, the Heat would be able to land him through waivers without giving up anything in return.
Clayton, 23, has had a fast and unusual path. A year ago, he was one of college basketball’s top players, winning a national title with the Florida Gators and earning consensus first-team All-American honors in 2025.
That put him in the first round of the last draft, where Utah took him No. 18.
He played 45 games with the Jazz, but his splits weren’t strong, and he was later moved to Memphis in the blockbuster Jaren Jackson Jr. deal at the trade deadline.
For Miami, the timing makes sense. The Heat’s backcourt has been volatile for years, and the current situation adds more urgency.
The team made the big Kyle Lowry swing in 2021 before he began to show signs of decline. Then Miami turned to Terry Rozier in early 2024, only for his career to be damaged by his gambling scandal, which kept him out of the entire 2025-26 season.
Davion Mitchell gave the Heat a useful option after the 2025 trade deadline, but it’s still unclear whether he can be the starting point guard on a true contender.
Clayton wouldn’t arrive as a headline-grabber, but he does fit a need. He can score, he can facilitate, and he’s still young.
With Dru Smith now injured, the pressure on Miami to find reliable backcourt depth is even greater. Mitchell is on the final year of his contract, which only strengthens the case for the Heat to take a shot on the Florida product and see what he can add.
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