Duke’s Isaiah Evans Sees Slight Decline in Draft Stock

Former Duke guard Isaiah Evans is still considered a top prospect in this summer’s NBA Draft, but he has seen his stock dip slightly in recent weeks.

Evans — a 6-foot-6 sophomore — had himself a strong season for the Blue Devils in the 2025-26 campaign. He averaged 15.0 points per game, a substantial leap from his average of 6.8 points as a freshman, while shooting 43 percent from the floor and 36 percent from three-point territory.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA;Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) dribbles the ball past St. John's Red Storm guard Oziyah Sellers (4) in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

He offers a versatile scoring that can have an immediate impact on many NBA teams. Evans was a part of two deep NCAA Tournament runs with the Blue Devils, reaching the Final Four in 2025 and the Elite Eight this past season.

Evans Remains in Draft

After this past season’s conclusion, Evans kept his name in the draft while there were rumors he was considering a move back to college. After some time, he ultimately decided to keep his name in the draft, where he is projected as a potential first-round pick.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) passes the ball between Duke Blue Devils forward Maliq Brown (6) and Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

He also took part in the combine, where he looked to raise his stock. He didn’t participate in any scrimmages, instead focusing on his measurements, agility testing, and other individual drills, such as shooting off the dribble, where he knocked down 21 of his 26 shots.

His stock has dipped slightly in the past few weeks, as he now projects mainly as a late-first-rounder, down from a mid-first-rounder. ESPN’s Jeremy Woo has updated his big board for this summer’s draft, where he has dropped Evans from the 19th overall prospect to now the 24th-best player available this summer.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) shoots the ball past Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Woo’s Thoughts

“It didn't come as much of a surprise that Evans opted to stay in the draft, and he offers a straightforward NBA profile as a talented perimeter shotmaker with good size and room to improve defensively. Evans measured 6-5 barefoot at the combine, giving him excellent size for a 2-guard although he weighed in at just 186 pounds."

"His below-average strength and foot speed might cap his upside somewhat, but his ability to shoot off movement will likely play up and give him a pathway to a role. He appears to be safely in the first round at this point,” Woo said.

Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer shoots a ball during a practice session ahead of the east regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

With the draft nearing, Evans hopes to hear his name called this summer, which appears to be a safe bet at this point. Ideally, being selected in the first-round would be the best case scenario for the former Duke standout scorer.

Add us as a preferred source on Google