Hoops Nightly
Bryce McGowens
Pelicans · G · 23
Bryce McGowens
vs
2025-26
Walter Clayton Jr.
Free agent · G · 23
Walter Clayton Jr.
Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

Bryce McGowens vs Walter Clayton Jr.

9-8categories
McGowens · Clayton Jr.
Bryce McGowens
McGowens
Pelicans
2025-26
Clayton Jr.
Free agent
Walter Clayton Jr.
42
Games
availability
69
21.0
Minutes
per game
20.4
8.1
Points
per game
7.8
2.1
Rebounds
per game
2.0
1.5
Assists
per game
4.0
0.8
Steals + blocks
per game
0.9
0.4
Turnovers
per game · lower is better
1.7
48.1%
Field goal %
38.4%
40.9%
Three-point %
2.2 vs 3.5 attempts
30.7%
77.9%
Free throw %
90.1%
61.0%
True shooting
TS%
52.3%
13.6%
Usage
USG%
18.1%
9.1%
Assist %
of teammates' baskets
27.4%
4.7%
Rebound %
of available
4.8%
-3.6
Net rating
on court
-9.6
6.7%
PIE
player impact estimate
7.3%
-1.7
Plus-minus
per game
-4.1
Bars show each player's share of the pair's total; the better number is in the club's color (turnovers: fewer is better).

Where the gap is

from the numbers above

Bryce McGowens scored more in 2025-26, 0.3 points a game apart (8.1 vs 7.8), on Clayton Jr.'s heavier usage (18.1% vs 13.6%).

McGowens is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 61.0% to 52.3%; TS% folds threes and free throws into one number, so the gap survives shot-diet differences.

Playmaking goes to Clayton Jr. (4.0 vs 1.5 assists), the glass to McGowens (2.1 vs 2.0 rebounds).

Availability is part of the comparison: Clayton Jr. played 27 more games (69 vs 42 of 82).

With McGowens on the floor his team outscored opponents by -3.6 per 100 possessions, against -9.6 for Clayton Jr.; on-court net rating carries the teammates with it, so read it next to PIE.

On the books for 2026-27: McGowens $2.6M through 2027-28, Clayton Jr. — through —. Whether either fits a trade is a Trade Machine question, not a stat one.

Splits

2025-26 · from the game logs
McGowens
2025-26
Clayton Jr.
14-28
Record when playing
17-52
7.8
Points at home
6.6
8.4
Points on the road
9.1
9.5
Points in wins
6.9
7.4
Points in losses
8.1
23
Season high
20
0
30-point games
0
0
Double-doubles
1

Last games & contracts

test a trade in the Trade Machine →
McGowens · last 5
Fri, Oct 16 vs WAS5 pts · 2 reb · 1 ast
Wed, Oct 14 at DAL4 pts · 1 reb · 1 ast
Thu, Oct 8 at MIA1 pts · 3 reb · 7 ast
Tue, Oct 6 at OKC7 pts · 1 reb · 1 ast
Sun, Mar 8 vs WAS4 pts · 1 reb · 3 ast
Clayton Jr. · last 5
Fri, Oct 16 vs CHA4 pts · 0 reb · 4 ast
Fri, Oct 9 at CHI2 pts · 1 reb · 3 ast
Wed, Oct 7 vs ORL9 pts · 3 reb · 3 ast
Mon, Oct 5 at ATL7 pts · 1 reb · 2 ast
Wed, Apr 8 at DEN15 pts · 2 reb · 3 ast
McGowens · contract
2026-27$2.6M
2027-28$2.9M
Clayton Jr. · contract
No contract on file (free agent, two-way, or not yet signed).

More comparisons

pick any two players →
McGowens vs
Gary Trent Jr. · Jared McCain · Luguentz Dort · Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Clayton Jr. vs
Buddy Hield · Bryce McGowens · Ben Saraf · Gary Payton II

Per-game numbers and percentages are 2025-26 regular season from stats.nba.com; splits and last games from our own game logs; contract figures are cap hits from public salary data and can lag a signing by a day. Bold marks the better number in each row (turnovers: fewer is better).