Isaiah Evans
 Evans with the Duke Blue Devils in 2026 | |
| No. 33 – Minnesota Timberwolves | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 6, 2005 |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, North Carolina) |
| College | Duke (2024–2026) |
| NBA draft | 2026: 2nd round, 33rd overall pick |
| Drafted by | Brooklyn Nets |
| Playing career | 2026–present |
| Career history | |
| 2026–present | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Isaiah Demonte Evans (born December 6, 2005) is an American basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils.
Early life and high school
Evans grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina and attended North Mecklenburg High School in Huntersville, North Carolina.[1] He averaged 26 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as a junior.[2] Evans averaged 38.6 points over five games in the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs and was named North Carolina Mr. Basketball at the end of the season.[3][4] Evans averaged 27.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.3 steals per contest to guide the Vikings to a 30–3 record and a NCHSAA 4A state championship. He was selected to play in the 2024 McDonald's All-American Boys Game during his senior year.[5] Evans also repeated as North Carolina Mr. Basketball.[6] He was also named the Gatorade North Carolina Player of the Year for boys basketball.[7]
Evans was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2024 class, according to major recruiting services.[8][9] He committed to play college basketball at Duke over offers from Kansas, NC State, Tennessee, Texas, Auburn, and Florida State.[10] Evans signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Blue Devils on November 13, 2023, during the early signing period.[11]
College career
Evans enrolled at Duke University in June 2024 in order to take part in the Blue Devils' summer practices.[12] Evans spent his freshman season playing behind future first-overall draft pick Cooper Flagg and averaged 6.8 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game.[13] After the season he initially declared for the 2025 NBA draft, but ultimately decided to return to Duke for his sophomore season.[14] Following his sophomore season at Duke, Evans officially declared for the 2026 NBA draft on April 22, 2026.[15]
Professional career
On June 17, Evans received an invitation to sit in the NBA draft green room as one of 24 top prospects expected to be selected early in the event.[16] However, during the first round of the draft on June 23, Evans went unselected, making him the only green room invitee not drafted on the event's opening night.[17] On June 24, 2026, the Brooklyn Nets eventually selected him with the 33rd overall pick. Because of Evans' draft rights being part of a pre-draft, three-team trade involving Julius Randle, the Minnesota Timberwolves would end up receiving him.[18][19]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Duke | 36 | 3 | 13.8 | .432 | .416 | .813 | 1.1 | .5 | .2 | .1 | 6.8 |
| 2025–26 | Duke | 38 | 38 | 28.2 | .433 | .361 | .860 | 3.2 | 1.3 | .7 | .7 | 15.0 |
| Career | 74 | 41 | 21.2 | .432 | .380 | .849 | 2.2 | .9 | .5 | .4 | 11.0 | |
References
- ↑ Carboni, Nick (January 13, 2023). "North Meck's Isaiah Evans one of top juniors in the nation". WCNC.com. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ↑ Wimberly, Nate (November 13, 2023). "North Meck star Isaiah Evans signs with Duke". WBTV.com. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
- ↑ Lowe, Adam (April 14, 2023). "Duke hosting Five-Star Isaiah Evans for an official visit this weekend". 247Sports.com. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
- ↑ Wertz Jr., Langston (April 27, 2023). "Duke men's basketball gets commitment from top high school player in North Carolina". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ↑ Wertz Jr., Langston (January 23, 2024). "North Meck's Isaiah Evans among 5 NC players named to 2024 McDonald's All-American games". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ↑ "North Mecklenburg standout Isaiah Evans is NC Mr. Basketball for second straight year". The Charlotte Observer. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ↑ "Gatorade 2023 - 2024: Player of the Year Boys Basketball - North Carolina". Gatorade Player of the Year.
- ↑ "Get to know five-star Duke recruit Isaiah Evans". The Charlotte Observer. November 13, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
- ↑ Giles, Matt (February 3, 2024). "Five-Star Duke Basketball Signee 'Baby Ingram' Erupts Against Rival". SI.com. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ↑ Holland, Monica (April 27, 2023). "Duke basketball lands five-star in-state recruit Isaiah Evans". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
- ↑ "Duke Blue Devils basketball recruit Isaiah Evans signs NLI". The Charlotte Observer. November 13, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ↑ "Duke basketball observations from Blue Devils' summer scrimmage ahead of 2024-25 season". The Fayetteville Observer. June 22, 2024. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ↑ "Isaiah Evans - 2025-26 - Men's Basketball". Duke University. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
- ↑ Baxley, Rodd. "Jon Scheyer's conversations with Isaiah Evans about NBA Draft, coming back to Duke basketball". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
- ↑ Cohen, Eli (April 22, 2026). "Isaiah Evans Declares For 2026 NBA Draft". Hoops Rumors. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
- ↑ Straine, Hugh (June 19, 2026). "Latest News on Duke's Evans Could Signal First-Round Lock". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Duke's Isaiah Evans among talent still available after Round 1 of NBA Draft". Sportsnet. Associated Press. June 24, 2026. Archived from the original on June 25, 2026. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Duke's Isaiah Evans among those to land on Night 2 of NBA draft". ESPN.com. June 25, 2026. Archived from the original on June 25, 2026. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Reports: Julius Randle traded to Nets on eve of draft". NBA.com. June 23, 2026. Archived from the original on June 23, 2026. Retrieved June 25, 2026.