Is Walter Clayton Jr. A Target For Miami Heat After Hitting Waivers?

The Miami Heat's regular season begins this week and it is a highly anticipated campaign for this new-look roster. Around the league, players are being waived as the deadline to reduce rosters to the 15-player standard contract limit has passed. Miami waived a few young prospects on Saturday but a bunch of other teams are forming their rosters and waiving players who the Heat could show interest in. The Heat have a roster spot available and one reported target just hit waivers.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Monday afternoon that the Memphis Grizzlies are waiving guard Walter Clayton Jr. ahead of the roster cut deadline. Last week, NBA insider Jake Fischer claimed the Heat rate Clayton Jr. highly and could make a move for him. Now, if Fischer's reports are truthful, the Heat only have to sign him through waivers while not having to part with any additional compensation to acquire him.

Clayton, 23, was one of the best players in college basketball just a year ago and has already found himself dealt in a trade and waived. Clayton won a national title with the Florida Gators and was a consensus first-team All-American in 2025. That earned him a spot in the first round of last summer's draft where he was selected by the Utah Jazz at No. 18. His splits in Utah weren't too strong in 45 games played and he was dealt to the Grizzlies as part of the blockbuster Jaren Jackson Jr. deal at the trade deadline.

The Heat's backcourt has been up-and-down over the past few seasons. If we look back a bit further, the Heat made the massive blockbuster move for Kyle Lowry in 2021 before he showed alarming signs of slowing down. Then, Miami pivoted to Terry Rozier in early 2024 before his career has been forever damaged due to his gambling scandal which kept him out of the entire 2025-26 season. He may never play in the league again. The Heat got lucky with Davion Mitchell as a solid option when they acquired him at the 2025 trade deadline but it is still unknown if he can be the starting point guard of a true contending team.

Clayton isn't a game-changer by any means but with the recent Dru Smith injury, there is even more pressure on the Heat to have solid depth for the backcourt. Clayton can score and facilitate while also being quite young. With Mitchell on the final year of his contract, it may be worth a flyer to add the Florida product to the rotation and see what he can bring to the table.