Walter Clayton Jr. with a decision to make after G League Elite Camp

Florida guards Walter Clayton Jr. and Zyon Pullin competed in the G League Elite Camp over the weekend. Now, Clayton has a decision to make about his future.

Clayton had 14 points, five rebounds and three assists in his first game Saturday, followed by 17 points and four rebounds on Sunday. Pullin posted 11 points, four assists and three rebounds Saturday and 10 points, five rebounds and two assists Sunday.

Neither player received an invitation to the NBA Draft Combine, but they scored in double figures in both of their games. Clayton’s testing results also boosted his draft stock. He recorded a 37.5-inch max vertical leap, which ranked eighth out of 45 players.

Clayton stood out in the agility workouts as well, posting some of the best times in the shuttle (2.83 seconds left — which led all players — and 3.03 seconds right), 3/4 court sprint (3.23) and pro lane (10.52) drills. These numbers and his play in the scrimmages opened the eyes of some NBA scouts.

Pullin is out of eligibility, but Clayton has one more year remaining and the option to return to school. He will spend the next week or two deciding whether to turn pro or play his senior season. The NCAA early entry withdrawal date is May 29, and the 2024 NBA Draft will be June 26-27.

Clayton was grateful for the opportunity to compete at the G League Elite Camp.

“Just kinda trying to get a feel for where I’m at,” Clayton told CBS Sports national college basketball writer Isaac Trotter in Chicago. “Get good feedback and see if I can make it happen this year. There’s a lot of eyes out here. Eyes I’ve been trying to get in front of my whole life, so just to get to this point, I want to just play hard. It’s definitely a good feeling, being able to know all the hard work has paid off. Obviously, there are more steps to go, more ways to go, but where I’m at right now, I’m just thankful.”

If Clayton comes back to the Gators, he will rejoin a reloaded roster for next season. UF landed forward Sam Alexis (Chattanooga), center Rueben Chinyelu (Washington State) and guard Alijah Martin (FAU) in the 2024 class. Each signee is in the top 200 of the On3 Industry rankings, including two top-100 players.

“They definitely added some good pieces for sure,” Clayton told Trotter. “We’ll be a good team regardless of what happens.”

What they’re saying about Walter Clayton Jr.

“Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. is another name to watch. Clayton was one of the better guards at the Elite Camp, and his background should intrigue NBA personnel given his late start focusing full-time on basketball after being a highly regarded football recruit out of high school. It seems more likely than not that we’ll see Clayton in a Gators uniform for one more year, but this was a solid weekend of work for Florida’s star guard.” — Kevin Sweeney, Sports Illustrated

“Overall, things couldn’t have gone much better for Clayton who excelled in every aspect of the event from athletic testing to the scrimmages. Entering the NBA Draft cycle it was expected that Walter Clayton would be returning to Florida and while that’s still expected to be the case, his strong performance at the G League Combine might open up some NBA opportunities that didn’t previously exist. With the 2024 Draft expected to be one of the weaker drafts in the past decade there could be more opportunities for players like Clayton which could make the Gators sweat out his decision. Look for there to be word on whether he returns to Florida in the next few weeks.” — Eric Fawcett, Gator Country

“Walter Clayton looked like a pro-ready player is definitely worthy of a combine invite with another strong day. He is a candidate to return to college but we will see how it plays out.” — Walt Waddell, For The Numbers