Earlier this month, the Grizzlies traded Taj Gibson and AJ Johnson to the Pelicans for Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy, and future draft capital. While this was another intriguing move in what has been a busy offseason in Memphis, the Grizzlies face a roster crunch that needs to see the team go from 19 to 15 players. If there is one key piece that could be facing pressure this camp, it's Walter Clayton Jr.
Alongside Taylor Hendricks, Walter Clayton Jr. was one of the key young pieces that came to Memphis following the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade to the Jazz. Despite being selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, it was an extremely disappointing stint of performances for Clayton Jr. after arriving in Memphis.
Not too long ago, Jake Fischer had mentioned Walter Clayton Jr. as one of the four names that could be included as waive candidates to get the roster to 15 standard contracts. The other names included were D'Angelo Russell, Jordan Hawkins, and Kris Murray. While those names aren't too surprising, it is a bit of a surprise that Clayton Jr. could be waived so soon.
Clayton Jr.'s Memphis future is an interesting topic of discussion
Despite being a rookie, I felt that Clayton Jr. did not show the signs of being a potential long-term piece in Memphis, largely due to his shooting struggles. When factoring in that the Grizzlies have plenty of capable shotmaking guards, such as Cam Spencer, Ty Jerome, and Scotty Pippen Jr., it's easy to see why Clayton Jr. could be the odd man out.
Javon Small, who still currently occupies a two-way contract, outperformed Clayton Jr. and could potentially be a candidate to earn a standard contract in Memphis eventually. Small also showed more strong flashes this past summer in Summer League while Clayton Jr. wasn't able to play due to a knee injury.
When factoring in the roster crunch, there is plenty of logic that points towards the Grizzlies moving on from Walter Clayton Jr. soon.
On the flip side, it can be argued that the Grizzlies being in the beginning of their rebuild and Clayton Jr. being such a recent first-round selection could allow him opportunities to potentially regain the high-level shooting he showed in college. Plus, it's important to remember that Zach Kleiman has previously floated Clayton Jr.'s name as a piece to build around.
With just 9 days until training camp, it's hard to envision that the Grizzlies will make more roster moves until competition brews in preseason. It would not be a surprise if Micah Peavy, Jordan Hawkins, and Walter Clayton Jr. are the ones battling for the last roster spot in Memphis.
If Fischer's report ends up being true, there's a strong chance that training camp and the preseason could be Walter Clayton Jr. playing for his Memphis future.
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