Why Duke's Evans Makes Sense for This Western Conference Team

Evans will likely be chosen late in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.

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

Duke’s Isaiah Evans could make sense for a lot of NBA teams picking late in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, including one that is three years removed from a championship. 

Evans broke out as a star scorer for the Blue Devils this past season. After averaging just a little over six points per game as a freshman, Evans jumped up to 15 points per game last season, second on the team behind Cameron Boozer. Evans also knocked down 36 percent of his three-point tries.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) dribbles the ball against the St. John's Red Storm 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

The 6-foot-6 guard offers a deep scoring bag and is a marksman from beyond the three-point line. After taking some time to consider a move back to college or to remain in the draft, Evans chose to stick with the draft, where he projects to be a late first-round selection. 

Many teams picking in that range could benefit from his scoring prowess at his 6-foot-6 frame. One of those teams is the 2023 NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets. CBS Sports’ Cameron Salerno has Evans headed to Denver in his latest mock draft. 

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) dribbles the ball against Duke Blue Devils 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

Salerno’s Comments

“Evans went from almost strictly a pure catch-and-shoot 3-point specialist at Duke during his freshman year to a legit No. 2 scoring option on the No. 1 overall seed in college basketball. Evans almost doubled the amount of 3-pointers he took from this year to last and still knocked them down at a 36.1% clip. He will be a Day 1 pick somewhere in the 20s,” Salerno said. 

Evans could make sense for the perennial playoff team. The Nuggets have lacked depth in recent seasons, and Evans could provide bench scoring. Additionally, his ability to shoot consistently from three-point range will be very beneficial to their offense alongside Nikola Jokic, one of the league’s best passers. 

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; IDuke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) shoots the ball against the St. John's Red Storm in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game 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

Nuggets in Need of Depth

Whatever team Evans lands on will likely be a playoff contender, as most of the teams picking in his projected range are currently contenders. The Nuggets haven’t made it back to the Finals since their run to a ring in 2023, and they’ll be looking to load up with solid depth pieces such as Evans in the draft. 

In the meantime, Evans will look to keep his draft stock in the first round ahead of this summer’s draft. His massive leap in production last season has led him to this point, and he’ll look to continue where he left off in the NBA next season.