There are still three Florida Crocodiles in the conversation since the 2025 NBA Draft.
NBA reporter Kevin O'Connor has three crocodiles in the latest Yahoo sports simulation. All-American defender Walter Clayton Jr. Clayton has been shining in the spotlight for most of the NCAA Championship and is the unquestionable leader of the Florida champions. If anyone raises the stock’s first round that has never been drafted in the past two months, it’s Clayton.
Next sophomore forward Alex Condon will be the San Antonio Spurs with the eighth overall pick in the second round (38th overall). Conton is still weighing his options and getting feedback from the NBA front desk. It is not clear what he wants before he decides to return to Florida, but anything except the first round projected is a positive signal from the crocodile.
Ultimately, the Memphis Grizzlies ranked 56th in O'Connor's teasing (2nd, draft pick) to catch guard Alijah Martin. Martin is an experienced defensive expert who came to Florida with final four games experience and improved his ball abilities and scored enough to guarantee some draft look.
Even if Martin didn’t hear his name call during the draft, he certainly was the top of several rosters for undrafted free agents.
O'Connor likens Clayton's game to Jordan Clarkson and Ben Gordon, a pair of Traveler defenders with relevant peaks in the NBA. Clayton is a "three-point shooter, mid-range assassin and off-ball shake" with proven clutch genes. His defense and playing skills remain question marks, but he has improved significantly in his senior year.
"It was another shooter for the Magic after choosing Clifford earlier in the first round," O'Connor said. "The best scorer for March Crazy. Clayton hit some all the games, all the games were long, leading Florida to the NCAA Championship, then put in a huge effort on defense and made some sleek passes to help them lead them to the championship. He showed significant limitations in the limitations of going all out throughout his college career, but he played the stage of any fear. Need."
Condon compared with Isaiah Hartenstein, the eighth year of his NBA career, and he has finally found regular game time with New York and now Oklahoma City over the past two seasons. Florida uses his offense through Condon, leveraging his energy and passing abilities. It's easy to see Condon fill the role of the modern NBA Big, but he lacks a certain scale.
"Conton is a huge, high-octane Australian with ruthless motors, versatile defense and a pizzazz with a look-free corner kick," O'Connor said. "But most modern big men need reliable jumpers or huge interior sizes that make him a little spanning at this stage."
Defensive, scoring, playing and rebounding at the outposts are the advantages of Condon, but he can refine his jump shots and add some weight to his 6-foot-11-foot-11 frame, which performs less.
Martin's ceiling seems to be a role player, but from the general manager's perspective, he has a lot to like. His defense is perhaps ready, with his game greater than 6-foot-2, good rebounds, defenders dunks, and the quick-hit sport every coach is looking for.
"Martin is a high-energy guard with high functionality, bigger than his body and influenced the game with toughness, rebounding and defensive courage," O'Connor said. "But his position division, high shooting percentage and limited creativity complicate his ability to play professional roles."
O'Connor compared Martin to De'anthony Melton and Derrick Jones Jr., both of which bring together NBA careers.
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