Walter Clayton Jr. signs a two-way deal with the Mavericks

Walter Clayton Jr. has agreed to a two-way contract with the Mavericks, Shams Charania reports, and the team has made the deal official in a press release.

Marc Stein reported the mutual interest between Clayton and Dallas on Tuesday. The Grizzlies placed Clayton on waivers on Monday despite his $4.19 million guaranteed salary. Sacramento, Miami and Golden State were among the other teams linked to the 2025 first-round pick.

With a full 15-man standard roster, the Mavericks had no standard spot for him. They opened a two-way slot, alongside Jett Howard and Tobi Lawal, by cutting John Poulakidas on Saturday.

Clayton, 23, was the 18th pick in 2025 after helping Florida win a national championship. Utah gave up three second-round picks in a trade with Washington to move up from No. 21 to No. 18 for him, and he was later sent to Memphis in the eight-player trade that landed Jaren Jackson Jr. in Utah. Last season he averaged 7.8 points, 4.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 20.4 minutes over 69 games for the Jazz and Grizzlies, shooting .384/.307/.901.