Trio of Gators Begin NBA Summer League Play

Walter Clayton Jr., Zyon Pullin and Phlandrous Fleming Jr. each began play in the NBA Summer League.

Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Walter Clayton Jr. arrives before the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

A trio of former Florida Gators were in action Saturday in the first set of NBA Summer League games, with all three coming out on top. Rookie Walter Clayton Jr. and fellow former Gators Zyon Pullin and Phlandrous Fleming Jr. were the three to begin play on Saturday.

Pullin and Fleming Jr. got the ball rolling, as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 92-80 in the first game of the Salt Lake City Summer League.  

Pullin finished with eight points, five assists and three rebounds. 

〽️oving the Rock@Zyonpullin2 🤝 @jaylen_wells pic.twitter.com/kZ2bttBuJH

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) July 6, 2025

Fleming Jr. ended the night with seven points, three rebounds, two steals and one assist. He also knocked down a mid-range jumper as the time expired to end the third quarter. 

Former Charleston Southern guard, Phlandrous Fleming with a solid Summer League debut.

7 Points
3 Rebounds
2 Steals
15 Minutes Played

And this buzzer beater to end the 3rd Quarter. pic.twitter.com/8Ece9TXTbH

— Big South Hoops Hub (@BigSouthHH) July 6, 2025

Walter Clayton Jr. was the other former Gator to play on Saturday, getting his first taste of professional basketball. Clayton Jr. played 25 minutes in the Utah Jazz’s 93-89 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He logged nine points, a team-high six assists, three rebounds and a block. 

The former national champion nailed a clutch 3-pointer late in the contest. Trailing by two with just under three to go, the ball found its way to Clayton Jr., who sunk a contested 25-foot 3-pointer to give the Jazz an 83-82 advantage. 

The next game for these three will take place on Monday, as the Grizzlies and Jazz face off at 9 p.m. ET. It will be televised on NBA TV or streamed on ESPN+. 

There was one other former Gator who could have taken the court on Saturday if not for trades not having officially gone through, yet. Will Richard, who now plays for the Golden State Warriors, was unable to take the court due to the draft-day trade that paired him with the Warriors having not been made official. 

Richard is most likely not going to be available until July 8, according to Florida Basketball Hour on X, because the new year for the NBA begins on July 6. The Warriors could submit paperwork that would allow Richard to make his debut earlier than that, but it is not guaranteed that they will do so.