Isaiah Evans will have to wait a little longer before his NBA dream becomes reality. The Duke standout faced a pivotal offseason decision this summer, weighing a return to college against making the professional leap. He chose the pros.
But the first round came and went on draft night without his name being called.
Why Did Teams Pass on Isaiah Evans in the First Round of the NBA Draft?
Evans earned a late invite to the NBA Draft’s green room, which made the slide all the more surprising for a 6’6″ sharpshooter with clear upside.
His slight frame and underwhelming athletic testing at the NBA Combine were the biggest concerns teams raised during the pre-draft process. Those red flags ultimately cost him a first-round spot.
That said, Evans made a significant leap from his freshman to sophomore season at Duke.
He went from a limited bench contributor in year one to the Blue Devils’ second-leading scorer in year two. His offensive arsenal grew, too. He showed the ability to knock down 3s at a high clip while also creating his own shot off the bounce.
As a sophomore, Evans averaged 15.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 3-pointers, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. He connected on 43.3% of his field goal attempts, 36.1% from 3-point range, and 86.0% from the free-throw line.
Evans still needs to add bulk and will likely require time to adjust to the NBA’s physicality. His energy, confidence, and defensive willingness, though, could make him an immediate contributor. He flashes disruptive hands and solid length on that end, with real room to tighten his consistency as his frame develops.
If he continues to sharpen his shot selection, playmaking, and off-ball awareness, Evans could quickly grow into a valuable scoring wing.
For that development, he could have stayed in college. Evans likely would have been one of the most coveted names on the transfer portal market, and Duke head coach Jon Scheyer would have welcomed him back with open arms.
Instead, Evans bet on himself and declared for the draft. Now, he heads into the league as a second-round pick, with far fewer guarantees and much more to prove.
Every first-round pick receives a guaranteed contract under the NBA’s rookie-scale system. According to Spotrac projections, the final selection of the first round is expected to land a four-year deal worth more than $15 million.
As a second-round pick, Evans and his representatives will need to negotiate directly with whichever franchise selects him. That, coupled with the substantial NIL money he walked away from at Duke, may have him regretting his decision in the short term.
However, in recent drafts, there’s a growing trend of teams offering guaranteed contracts to early second-round picks, which is likely what Evans and his camp will shoot for. If he hears his name early in the second round, he’ll have a better shot at landing one of these deals.
Nevertheless, Evans still controls his long-term outlook. Several second-round selections have gone on to become stars, including reigning NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson. For now, however, Evans remains available and must wait one more day for his NBA journey to begin.
