The Washington Wizards still have one open spot on their 15-man roster, and with training camps drawing closer, the search for a fit isn’t over yet. One place to watch is Memphis, where the Grizzlies have pushed their roster to 19 players and now have to trim down to comply with the league’s limit.
That crowded situation has put a few names on the chopping block, including Walter Clayton Jr., D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Hawkins and Kris Murray, per @JakeLFischer on @BleacherReport. For Washington, the most obvious headline name would be Russell, but a reunion doesn’t appear likely.
The more interesting option is Clayton, who already has a connection to the Wizards from draft night. Washington originally selected him with the 18th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, then quickly turned that pick into a deal with Utah that brought back Nos. 21 and 43. The Wizards used those selections on Will Riley and Jamir Watkins, and that move has only aged better since.
Clayton’s path after that got messy fast. He was later included in the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, and now he could be available again if Memphis decides to move on from him a year into his pro career. Washington, with a vacancy still on the books, could circle back and bring him in without giving up anything.
The appeal is clear enough. Clayton is not the kind of raw, long-term swing that usually fills out the Wizards’ young core.
He looks more like a more finished scorer, which made him a slightly awkward fit when Washington had just taken Tre Johnson an hour earlier in the draft. But the team’s direction has shifted, and now the Wizards have already given the Jazz another shot at the top of the draft by winning the 2026 NBA Draft lottery and landing AJ Dybantsa.
That leaves more room for older contributors and players who can help right away.
Clayton would be competing in a backcourt that already includes Tre Mann, who was acquired in the last month. Mann has the experience edge, but Clayton offers a different kind of swing because of his shooting. At Florida, he hit 37.6% from three on 7.4 attempts per game over two seasons and showed a knack for getting hot quickly and making contested shots.
The problem is that his pro numbers have not matched that promise. Across his Utah and Memphis stops, Clayton has shot 38.4% from the field, posted a 50.2% true shooting mark and connected on 30.7% from beyond the arc. He has also had trouble getting to the rim, which makes the overall profile harder to sell.
Still, if Washington wants another option who brings more shot-making and playmaking juice than most of its reserve guards, Clayton could be worth a look if Memphis puts him on waivers.
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Teague pointed to the kind of balance that can keep a team afloat, with Trae Young at the center of it and pieces like Alex Sarr and Deandre Ayton helping to round out the lineup. He also drew a familiar comparison from his own playing days, the kind that suggests Washington has more in common with a high-functioning, regular-season threat than a team waiting on one player to do everything. [Read more 🡒]