The Dallas Mavericks appear to be closing in on a deal for young guard Walter Clayton Jr., with the Golden State Warriors seemingly having no interest in the former first-round pick despite his availability.
Clayton was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies and a victim of their roster crunch on Monday, leaving the Warriors with an opportunity to upgrade their guard depth after showing interest in Clayton prior to the draft less than 18 months ago.
Mavericks nearing Walter Clayton Jr. move Warriors should be making
Clayton looks like he’ll have to settle for a two-way contract beginning his second NBA season, with the Mavericks, much like most teams around the league including the Warriors, having no available main rosters spot as the season gets underway.
Dallas do have an open two-way spot for Clayton to fall into though. NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Tuesday that the Mavericks are closing in on a deal once Clayton clears waivers, while the Sacramento Kings have also had interest after the season-ending torn Achilles injury to Ben Simmons.
The Kings also covet Walter Clayton Jr. after pursuing him via trade over the weekend, but league sources say it is understood now is that the former No. 18 overall pick is likely to land in Dallas if he clears waivers.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 20, 2026
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It’s unclear how much, if any interest the Warriors have in Clayton, but it appears like a missed opportunity slipping out of their grasp. While the former 18th overall pick may not necessarily equate to being a good long-term NBA player, the potential is certainly there and he represents great value on a two-way contract.
Golden State don’t have an available two-way spots entering the season, but could simply waive either Malevy Leons or LJ Cryer if they were adamant on fulfilling the interest they had in Clayton prior to the 2025 draft.
Warriors continue roster continuity right up until opening night
This is simply another example of the Warriors leaning on roster continuity, even when it comes to their two-way contracted spots leading into the season opener. They haven’t particularly wanted to take risks, and when they do it’s with their own players who have health concerns.
The issue with this one is that it wouldn’t even be a risk. Clayton would simply be a better option than Cryer or Leons, both in the short-term and particularly as a long-term prospect who’s been compared to a poor man’s Jamal Murray.
May fans were left disappointed with the Warriors’ offseason, particularly after missing out on LeBron James, and this is just another example where you have to question why they aren’t even linked to Clayton over the past 24 hours since he was waived by the Grizzlies.
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