Why Duke star Isaiah Evans is convinced it’s time to make NBA leap: ‘I’m all in’
Any modicum of wiggle room is gone.
With the deadline to withdraw from the 2026 NBA Draft less than two weeks away, Isaiah Evans left little doubt about his intentions following his sophomore season at Duke.
“Nah, I’m in,” Evans said Wednesday at the NBA Draft Combine before showcasing his talents during a scrimmage at Wintrust Arena. “I’m fully in.”
Unlike this time a year ago, when the North Mecklenberg product elected to return for another season with the Blue Devils in Durham after dipping his toes into the NBA player talent pool, Evans has zero plans to suit up for Duke again. He’s looking to cash in on a solid sophomore campaign.
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Hovering at 6-foot-6, Evans made a notable leap after posting 6.8 points per game in 36 games during Duke’s run to the Final Four in 2024-25. In Year 2, he averaged 15 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists a game and was the Blue Devils’ second-leading scorer behind Cameron Boozer.
“I just feel like I’m ready,” Evans said. “I’ve been working really hard this year. I’m in the weight room a lot and I’ve been taking my body seriously. And I think I’m ready for the NBA.”
Projected by draft pundits as a mid-to-late first-round pick in the June draft at Barclays Center in New York, Evans’ strengths center around his ability to stretch the defense with his shot, which also features a quick release.
Some mocks peg him landing somewhere in the vicinity of No. 21 to the Detroit Pistons or going somewhere in the neighborhood of No. 25 to Los Angeles Lakers.
“Isaiah Evans has two attributes,” one NBA talent evaluator at the combine told The Charlotte Observer on Wednesday. “Positional size and shooting. Has to get better at shot selection, decision-making, being a versatile scorer and defending on ball.”
Undoubtedly, Evans has heard similar chatter from NBA personnel.
“I just think I’m ready to accept the challenge the NBA has to offer,” Evans said. “I have real offensive talent and I’m ready to accept the challenge defensively. It’s just physical, the way that those guys play (in the NBA). And it’s just all about angles, and understanding your opponent and paying attention to the scouting report.”
Just reaching this particular point is the latest step in Evans’ rapid ascension.
Evans initially jumped on the radar of some as a sophomore at North Meck, when he made the leap from junior varsity following an impressive freshman campaign. He averaged nearly 20 points per game on a deep team — a precursor to a breakout junior season.
That’s when Evans morphed into the top player in North Carolina, netting 26 points along with collecting 6.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game en route to nabbing Mr. N.C. Basketball after leading his team to the state semifinals.
Named a McDonald’s All-American in his senior season, Evans became the first to win Mr. N.C. Basketball twice, propelling North Mecklenburg to its third state championship in school history. His high school career included putting up 62 points in a state quarterfinal and a 45-point showing against rival Chambers, assisting in building up a blossoming confidence level.
“I feel like there’s not a lot of moments that can shake me,” Evans said. “I’ve been a part of a really good career so far with high school and then being at Duke. So, I just feel like I’m ready for the moment.”
No matter where he ends up.
Evans said he’s met with the Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards and New York Knicks so far. The Charlotte Hornets have a pair of first-round selections — Nos. 14 and 18 — and Evans perked up a bit when the possibility of playing for the Hornets was brought up.
“Yeah, it’d be awesome,” Evans said. “I know the city of Charlotte accepts me well. It’d be nice to put on for the home team.”
Especially with a pair of players he’s already familiar with.
Kon Knueppel, who finished second to fellow Duke product Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks in the race for the NBA’s 2025-26 rookie of the year, is already entrenched. As is Sion James.
Evans has plans to take the knowledge he’s gained watching Knueppel transition into the pro ranks and incorporate it into a way it can benefit him.
“I just think he knows he spots it really well and he’s very mechanical with what he does,” Evans said. “He does the same thing over and over again. You never see him shoot it differently or when you see him shoot, you never see him shoot it differently twice. So, I think it’s just being consistent in my work.”
In other words, that means simply following in the footsteps of James as well. James was the only member of the Hornets to log action in all 82-regular season games.
“Sion just works really hard and seeing how he came — he was a late pick and he still was able to impact the organization,” Evans said. “Yeah, it’s definitely showing that no matter what pick you are, you can definitely make an impact.”
